We Run Together
by starshaker
Summary: Stiles is feeling alone and cut off from his pack. When an opportunity presents its self for him to learn from a witch outside of Beacon hills, he leaves his pack behind. My NaNoWriMo 2013 novel. Teenwolf, Stiles/Derek pining, adventure, spells, magic, and original characters. Pack feels. post S3A. Other stories will follow and precede. Not beta-ed so there may be some mistakes


Beacon Hills had its moments but over the last three months, it had been a quiet run of things. The FBI had left, the killings had been solved, or back-benched, or scapegoat-ed, depending on who you spoke to. Today however, had been an easy one; or difficult… for similar reasons. A petty theft at a local store, a domestic dispute that turned out to be a cat stuck under a shed and a whole load of paperwork on the past few months for various agencies. The sheriff of Beacon Hill was beginning to think this job was getting back within his abilities. Stiles still seemed a little distant on various subjects but the kid was alright, he was growing up but he was good. The sheriff had called his son earlier to tell him he'd probably be home early tonight and that they could order in, it went to voicemail. He dropped him a text instead before taking a break and heading to the coffee machine; their own personal oracle of the ever decreasing workforce.

He'd just sat down for a chat with his deputy when one of the other officers hurried over.

"Excuse me, Sheriff,"

"Lisa, how can I help?" He greeted her pleasantly and waited for her to continue. She erred, paused and then came to her senses and continued before he told her to get on with it.

"You mentioned you wanted us to keep an eye on any suspicious behaviour around the woods sir, and Greg has just phoned in something I thought I should report directly to you rather than okaying him to check things out," He nodded wishing she'd get to the point.

"Would you rather discuss it in your office, uh, sir?"

"Carry on Lisa,"

"It's your son sir; he was seen heading into the Hale woods,"

"He spends a lot of time up there with Scott, says they're training or running or something,"

"Greg said he saw at least five large dogs up there sir, either big German Shepards or wolves,"

"There are no wolves in California," If even his deputies were going to start scaremongering in their speculation he'd finally have to start considering all those team-building day training sessions and 'positive attitudes in the workplace' schemes that got sent to him each month

"I know sir, but he thought best to report it all the same. I don't know anyone with that many large dogs in Beacon Hills,"

"Where did he say he saw them?"

"Said he spotted them near the track to the remains of the Hale house. Stiles parked his truck about half a mile past it and must have walked back."

"Okay, tell him not to worry about it and I'll go check out what my delinquents up to. My work's all finished in my office but call me if there's anything serious,"

"'Course Sheriff,"

The fact that he was happy to know that the GPS on his son's phone was always turned on wasn't so much over-protective parent as mutual over-protectiveness. Stiles sometimes forgot to answer the phone, but the Sheriff would never ignore his son's calls unless there was real trouble. He let the boy listen to the damn police scanner. There were conditions of course; it's for reassurance only; help with your anxiety; on no conditions do you do anything other than listen to the radio. GPS had been on his own phone until he'd started spotting Stiles turning up at all the calls he'd received. The words 'too intense for a minor' were repeated so many times that they were still being argued to get him off the scene of the crime long after they became redundant. The boy couldn't help getting into trouble the Sheriff thought as he drove up towards the Hale property. He pulled over when he saw his son's car and wondered where he had picked up the 'how to cause trouble without trying' gene. He didn't need to wonder very long; Stiles' mother had plenty of that in her. A good heart but didn't mind trouble in the process. A free spirit people called her. Stiles they called weird and if they were being nice, an oddball. But they were smart; his wife and his son were so smart.

He was approaching the dirt track that headed up towards the Hale house when he began to hear the yips and yelps that sounded canine. He warily followed the sounds through the brush. As he went further still he heard a startled burst of laughter he recognised but felt like he hadn't heard in a long time. It was frustrated but fond banter, though he could only pick out Stiles' comments.

Out of curiosity the sheriff pushed on through the undergrowth towards the playful shouts and yelps. What he saw made him stop and blank out for a moment; his son, surrounded by wolves. The first Stiles noticed was when the large black wolf at his side tensed peering out into the woods and straight at him. The sheriff couldn't shake the feeling he was being judged by those dark eyes.

Stiles had long since given up trying to keep up on their runs. So depending on when they set off, he'd meet them, well they'd find him, either before or afterwards; for a good old game of rough and tumble which ultimately added to Stiles' collection of bruises. There'd been a few, not completely stupid suggestions of knee, shoulder and elbow pads; Stiles thought Derek was in favour of full body armour from the way he snapped at the others when they started to get a little too boisterous with the poor human. Derek sometimes joined in but never by knocking him down, however much the others found it amusing. He'd nudge stiles as they were walking along but always grab his clothing to stop him from falling, or thwack him with his tail when Stiles was sat in an exhausted time out.

Scott was the worst despite being the alpha of their little mismatched group; his wolf form was the result of control, dedications and perseverance; and it turned him into how Stiles imagine he'd been as a hyperactive child. It wasn't that he lost control, Scott was just happiness magnified when he transformed into his wolf. Stiles could understand that when some days he felt so cold and empty inside. The pack helped, all knowing more than their fair share of emptiness. Here was somewhere they could all fit without trying. Even Jackson's personality had its sharp edges rounded off having each other like that; being a jerk was second nature, but he toned it down when they were all together.

Lydia and Allison didn't join them on runs, not like Stiles did, but they still turned up for movie nights and were perfectly happy to take the wolves down a couple of pegs when they were a little too full of themselves. Both of them were far too suited to threatening behaviour to get their way.

Erica and Boyd had settled down now. No-one was ever sure if they were together or just very good friends, and most of the time it didn't matter anyway. Even the werewolf scents couldn't tell the difference apparently since they shared a bed for closer comfort. They still travelled and branched out a fair bit, taking weekends to Disneyworld here and New York or Chicago and Vegas there but home was their pack in Beacon hills. Stiles could tell their weekends away pulled at a sensitive nerve in Derek, especially when they invited Isaac along to join them too, but he never mentioned anything. If Stiles happened to drop round to see Derek those weekends with coffee or fresh baked biscuits or with a movie choice he'd really wanted to see for ages that he made Derek reluctantly agree to watch with him, that wasn't making an issue of it. Derek didn't always seem to believe they were going to come back, Stiles saw where he's written it down on the bedside flip calendar, circled and highlighted, but old deep-set fears never really go away. It was easy to see how happy is made Derek to have his pack playing happily around him. It had taken a long time for Stiles to believe he was part of the pack and not just a nosey outsider who got in the way. There wasn't a lot that Scott could say to change his mind when it came to that. Derek all but scared him into believing in the pack though. "You're important Stiles. You're important because you're pack," and Stiles couldn't help remembering the haunting words Cora had ingrained so powerfully, "Losing a pack member is like losing a limb," and being that important to someone was scary when it was just like that with his Dad. Needing to know they're okay even if it's just a few words a day; more than love, more than obligation.

"But me being here, that's a choice right?"

"Could you?" Derek had asked him, "Could you choose to walk away?"

"No?" He didn't like how that came out. Stiles looked at him; really looked. Derek was telling him how much he meant, how much he was needed, how all of them needed him. How he needed all of them "No. Not from this. Not from you," and then the moment was ruined as he spluttered through how he meant you as in all of you: Scott, Allison, Erica, Boyd, Cora, Isaac. Hell, even the twins and Jackson and Peter

Isaac was a sly one when they were playing, feigning this way and that before nipping people's back legs and running away to hide behind Scott who even in wolf form you could tell he was laughing. He was also dubbed the cuddliest wolf, which may have been partially due to the fact that he put up the least fight against the name of any of them. Stiles had daren't even attempt to call Erica the most cuddly wolf; she'd probably have snapped at him as he ran for cover like the big bad wolf from three little pigs. Isaac though, he'd just flop down next to, or more often on top of someone else and just lie there until they either shoved him off or learnt to get comfortable. When Stiles sat on the floor leaning on a tree trunk it was Isaac who collapsed over his legs and pulled at his shoelaces until they fell undone. Derek was kinder when he curled up next to them, pushing his way into Stiles' space but not cutting off the blood to his feet! Stiles told Isaac this and received a snort in reply, but he did move, stalking behind Scott and pouncing, eventually pinning Scott down. Scott didn't submit but he didn't seem to care. He waited for Isaac relax ready to drop on top of him and threw him off where he landed and rolled a few metres away with a yelp.

Isaac and Cora provided better entertainment; they were fairly evenly matched, despite her lifetime of fitness. He'd wait for her to get really into it and drop to the floor as she jumped towards him. She'd learned his tricks and she only let him think he was getting away with it for so long before she'd be holding his head in the dirt with her teeth. Now Stiles had done his research into wolf behaviour, if only to mock the similarities and knowing that, every time Cora did that he felt like he was intruding and averted his eyes. He daren't ask Derek what it meant to a werewolf, Perhaps Cora was just waiting for Derek to say something about the move.

Cora had passed on joining them today; she'd run the day before with Peter. Peter who had never been able to achieve the true wolf transformation, made a point of only running with his family. The twins couldn't fully wolf-out either, but ran together and sometimes with Jackson, Scott and Derek when the moons powerful pull was strongest. Cora and Erica weren't surprisingly, very close with the twins, nor did they particularly like each other and a very sad Boyd regrettably ended up mediating for them most of the time. When all came to violence on a few occasions Derek had had to grab Cora while Boyd and Isaac tackled Erica to the ground. After followed an awkward Scott lecture on what it means to be a pack. It didn't accomplish 'a pack of synergy', which even Stiles had winced at as his best friend rambled on attempting to resolve the issue, but the girls did begrudgingly agree not to rip each other to pieces in the middle of the house.

A lot of the issues had been ironed out by the summer prom and Stiles caught the two of them discussing nails and Erica offering to do Cora's hair. He ran away when they turned their dual look of evil his way and offered to include him in their beauty plans. Derek laughed, full-on laughed when Stiles came bombing through the living room yelling that pack mates are not allowed to bully each other. Erica and Cora merely sauntered in to the doorway and stood leaning on the doorframe watching with menacing grins. "It's not funny!" He's shouted, "They might eat me!" Derek offered to hold him down and instead suffered having a pillow thrown at him; a pillow that was then thrown at his sister who gracefully ducked out of the way.

Beside him Derek usually pushed up against his side, rested his head across Stiles' thigh and watched the others at play. It hadn't been the smoothest experience for Derek and Scott to come together to co-lead this pack but the change in management went over a lot better than Stiles' expected. Derek had the knowledge, or at least some knowledge, but he didn't want to lead, the power was an insecurity he'd almost passed now. The need to protect his pack was still there and after Peter and the twins in their combined form, he was certainly the strongest fighter and he put them all through their paces when he led their training sessions. Scott was good at working the dynamics of the pack and Stiles wondered if Scott had been secretly longing for an older brother like Derek someone to learn from and aspire to be like even if they work as equals.

Stiles didn't know what Derek was to him. Pack, of course, but the term brother didn't seem to fit, friend, acquaintance, but most of all supporter was closest. Derek was…Derek.

And right now he was sat bolt upright sniffing the air and looking straight through the forest. The other wolves began to notice and within seconds they vanished into the bushes and trees spreading out. Derek stood at Stiles' side, even as one of the strongest fighter's, his place wasn't by Scott this time. If there was trouble approaching Derek's place was by the weakest fighter, watching their back. The way Derek had explained it one of the days he was teaching Stiles was this, "I'm at my strongest if my pack is safe and whole. We're at our best if we balance our strength when we anticipate a threat and focus it when we identify the threat; its target, purpose and limitations. I will always be at your side for as long as you are in danger."

Stiles didn't know how to feel about that, even after all the weeks since that training session. Stiles couldn't protect himself from the major threats like another were, but witches he could take one-on-one, and humans who weren't in Allison's league he could take if he was pre-warned they were coming. No one fought on their own, but Stiles could read Derek better than if one of the others was by his side; if a threat was coming though Derek would be at the forefront of the defences. Derek was far too willing to put himself in harms way. Denying the possibility that any of them could be seriously injured was too much for Stiles, and he'd heard Derek talk of feeling the same way. So did Scott and Allison when the darkness around their hearts flares; in private moments when they needed someone to hold. Having Derek in his wolf form by his side helped, but knowing he would have to walk away if the others called him sparked the darker thoughts in the back of his mind.

But Derek didn't move, not this time, and through the trees stepped Stiles' father. "Stiles?" The caution in his voice put Stiles on edge and his father only glanced momentarily up at Stiles but kept his focus on the wolf's movements. Stiles clocked the wolves moving behind in the undergrowth; flashes of light and dark fur through the grasses.

"Whoa, hey! Dad, please don't panic. He won't hurt us," Stiles dropped a hand onto Derek's back. It didn't help as His father threw out his hand to stop him. Derek back away from both of them, knocking against Stiles' legs letting him know it was okay and disappeared away from the edge of the clearing.

"We need to leave so I can report this to county and you need to explain what the hell you think you're doing trying to domesticate a load of wolves,"

"Uh sure, we need to talk, but you have to promise not to freak out,"

"Damn it Stiles you are not in one of your mother's fairytales,"

It's surprisingly similar to those children's tales he was brought up with and something he hadn't remembered until now; Wolves that turned into impossibly pretty girls and boys and protect their woods from evil monsters. But really, he doesn't have time to think about that at the moment. He's got a distress and angry father and a worried and agitated pack, neither are good options.

Stiles continued struggling to placate his father the rest of the pack was filtering through the trees. Scott was staring at Stiles, waiting to see what he wanted them to do, Isaac at his side. Erica was creeping forwards to his father's side. The sheriff wasn't oblivious and before Stiles could stop him his hands were on his firearm and pointed at Erica's forehead. Boyd desperately pushed forwards and butted her out of the way.

"Hey! No guns and no teeth," Stiles jumped towards his father and redirect the gun. It was a stupid move. From a way away in the trees a howl, Derek's howl caught everyone's attention. Erica yipped and shot off towards it, Boyd took account of everyone and followed. Stiles saw a flash of brown fur and Jackson, who must have been waiting from the tree-line, was headed towards Derek's call. Isaac looked like he wanted to go, but he waited for Scott; Scott who seemed completely reluctant to walk away and leave Stiles to face the music. Stiles nodded to him and slowly they too left.

Stiles looked up at his father who was scanning the surrounding for more wolves.

"They're going now Dad, there aren't any more,"

"You can save it for when we get home,"

"I can explain Dad,"

"I know you can, and now you're going to have to,"

"I think I could help with that explanation sir," Stiles froze. His Dad turned and looked straight over his head.

"Hale."

"Sheriff."

"Are those wolves your business son?"

"They are," Stiles turned to see Derek, fully dressed, stepping from the edge of the trees.

"What else are you breeding up in these woods? Anything State rangers should be aware of,"

"I don't believe so sir,"

"You rounding them up or something? Lock 'em up over night?"

"They find their way home,"

"Right. We need to have a little chat about this," Stiles watched his Dad turn and follow the track back to where he must have parked up.

"I'm so screwed," Stiles said, hanging his head and following his father's path through the trees. He felt Derek press a hand at the curve of his back in reassurance. "This is your fault too you know," Stiles told him, the reassuring touch remained. "At any point you could have told me to get out of there or hide or whatever.

"We're in a good place; Scott's wanted you to tell him for a while."

"Do I get a choice in this?"

"Of course, I'll follow with whatever you'd feel comfortable telling him,"

"Even if I made it painfully embarrassing or stuck you with another criminal record or something?"

"You could, but being able to talk to him about the pack will be good for you,"

"I'll be grounded for months," he whined.

"You'll restore your relationship with your father,"

"What if he bans me from meeting up with the pack?"

"Then we won't have explained what being pack means properly,"

Pack was home and family and choice and Stiles couldn't explain it without feeling he was drastically underselling the feeling. It was like trying to explain the cold emptiness around his heart. No-one could understand what it was like without feeling it.

Stiles had been dreading this conversation for years.

Derek was instructed to ride in the Sheriff's car no matter Stiles' protestations; Stiles didn't need to guess why he made that choice. His Dad stood a moment before getting into his car, "You can follow us or ride in the back,"

"I'll drive,"

"Be careful; don't go looking for those animals; and I'll see you at home in a few minutes," Stiles waited until his father had set off down the road before even reaching for the ignition. His father and Derek hale were sharing a car journey and they were all due 'a chat'. Oh God, the two people who could judge him most sat round a table discussing his recent lies. He groaned and dropped his head to the steering wheel and took several deep breaths before putting the car into gear and willingly approached his imminent doom.

He arrived at the house to see his Dad and Derek stood amiably chatting on the drive and he briefly wonders if someone took him out at one of the lights between the preserve and home.

"Uh, looks like you two have started without me, that's great I think I'm going to go see if Scott wants to..." He says jumping from the car but turning to head down the road towards Scott's house when I firm grip stops him and pulls him back towards the house.

"If you have half the explaining Hale's done, you're staying,"

"Well that's great because I'm pretty sure Derek wouldn't miss anything big…"

"In Stiles," He was pushed towards the kitchen where Derek was already sat at the table; he looked like he was waiting for parent-teacher night to begin; his fingers intertwined and his chin resting on them expectantly. Stiles rolled his eyes and made to sit down as far from both of them at the small table as possible.

"You don't have to sit," His chair was trapped by his father's feet under the table.

"Excuse me?"

"Your turn to cook,"

"You're interrupting my intervention because you're hungry?"

"If you would rather…"

"No, no I can cook," he darted to the fridge to see if he could make the best 'Dad please don't make me awkwardly explain myself just yet' meal. "So burgers okay? And chips, I'll even let you pass on the salad; I'll have a double portion and just pretend it counts for both of us,"

"Hale is staying for dinner too,"

"What?"

"We're still talking; the cooking is to give you something to focus on while you tell me the exact truth about what's been happening,"

"Now you know I can multi-task better than that; my story's straight,"

"This is why I'm going to be talking to both you and Hale at the same time,"

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"His name's Derek, and he really hasn't done anything wrong…"

That may have not been the best opening sentence but Stiles supposed it was better than launching straight into There are werewolves, hunters, witches, kitsune an ex-lizard and a banshee currently living peacefully in Beacon hills or at least passing through. Though he didn't think he could phrase that without it sounding like total make-believe to his dad.

He focused on grating the cheese instead of looking directly at anyone as he told, to the best of his memory, everything that might be relevant. Derek added helpful reminders and the equivalent of bullet point annotations as Stiles kept himself distracted with the food and the next time he had to look at his dad was as he put the plate down in front of him.

"And it must have taken him eight months of work to even begin to access the instinctual memory, but there's this pack in Sacramento who had all these old texts that they just couldn't be bothered to translate. They gave us all the texts when we offered an alliance and all they wanted was to hear what we learn from them and it was like Lydia had just been told she'd been given a credit card with an unlimited balance. We're still working through some of them but the next section seems to be on normal humans being able to take on an illusion of an animal's form; think animagi in Harry Potter,"

"We are not testing that," Derek muttered after thanking him for the food.

"What are you talking about of course we are," Stiles rounded on him glaring, " You think cause you're all special werewolves that someone like me can't take on a project like this if it would be potentially extremely useful."

"You're not doing it. What if you get stuck in the body of an owl or something," Derek waved his hand in the direct of Stiles, "This is more useful than an owl,"

"I'm sure there's something to give a werewolf wings if you…"

"No,"

"Its just you sound jealous of the possibilities for a normal human like me so…"

"You're good at being human; stay that way," out of the corner of his eye he saw his dad smile down at his food.

"I think that's racist but I can't figure it out," Stiles said, pointing his fork at Derek.

"Lydia is immune, nothing can go wrong if you trial it on her,"

"That also means we won't know if anything can go wrong. Your logic is flawed," Stiles grinned triumphantly but he would have to wait it out if he hoped to win this human trials disagreement without a much better back up than Derek's poor 'parent friendly' argument.

Up until then Stiles' father had been keeping quiet and listening to the two of them argue out the semantics of recent history, when he clear his throat to get their attention they jumped as if they had forgotten he were in the room with them.

"You say you're not the alpha, can you tell them what to do or not,"

"I'm a co-alpha; I deal with pack training and security, Scott deals with pack politics. Scott may be an alpha but he's young when it comes to werewolf business I still have access to more species orientated information, the Argents also provide key information on occasion,"

"And Stiles' place in the pack?"

"He has input into everything,"

"Yeah," Stiles huffed, "'Cause you all listen to me so much,"

"One of these days I'll prove to you how important you are to us," Derek nudged him with his shoulder and gave the sheriff a guilty look and went back to his food.

"Oh and all the physical contact is kind of a werewolf," Stiles started, gesturing with his hands to Derek who had withdrawn into his own space entirely, where he had previously been facing his whole body towards Stiles, "I think anyway. All of them are really embarrassed about it so I haven't asked them but its really like animal behaviour so I'm going with the idea that its another instinct or something,"

"You're half right," Derek said through his last bite of burger. Stiles had barely finished half of his but wasn't feeling very hungry so pushed his plate across the table to the walking, talking, growling dustbin. The dustbin nodded in appreciation.

"Tell me later," Stiles waved him off and turned to his father who tried very hard but could not hold back a chuckle, "What?" Stiles asked indignantly.

"You work well together,"

"Then we're setting a wholly abnormal impression of our relationship. There's a lot of shouting, arguing and him being wrong," Derek scowled over his second burger and Stiles pulled a face back.

"I just mean, well with Scott its like you're crashing and I wait for the damage report," Stiles shrugged

"That's reasonable," and his dad continued.

"Lydia you were like two south magnets. But you two act like you're part of the same big picture,"

"That's what pack is,"

"If you say so,"

After dinner they sat and watched the TV for a little while; Stiles kept expecting Derek to make an excuse to leave or his dad to ask when he was going but he kept being invited to stay through another program and then a film and then before he realised the time his dad was calling it a night and heading upstairs.

"Hey Dad!"

"What?" he turned in the doorway and looked back at them. Derek was relaxed into the corner of the sofa and until five seconds before Stiles' feet had been in his lap.

"You said before about mum's fairytales, where'd they come from? Were they written down?"

"She always told me her grandmother told them to her when she was expecting you. Passing on the classics to another generation a guess,"

"Okay, night Stiles. Derek,"

"Night dad," he called back.

It didn't seem to take long before the credits for the film they were watching started playing and Stiles was pulling himself out of a daze, another hour had passed. He looked over at Derek whose head was dangling off the back of the sofa, one arm thrown over Stiles' legs where they had found their way back on to his lap.

"Hey," He said prodding Derek with his toes, "Hey!" The wolf opened one eye lazily.

"You can't stay there you'll get neck ache,"

"Did I just spend three or four hours of my day explaining to your dad that I was your boyfriend or a werewolf,"

"Dude, don't do that!"

"I might have been mistaken, but werewolves don't get neck ache; unless it's half severed,"

"You look in one piece at the moment, but if my dad thinks you stayed the night he might change his mind,"

"It's half one in the morning,"

"Congratulations you can tell the time,"

"It's raining,"

"It's October,"

"I'll get soaked,"

"Oh my god, fine. Stay on the sofa, just don't cover it in hairs!" He stood up from the sofa, threw the comforter and a pillow at Derek who was smiling contently up at him and went upstairs to his own room and then found he couldn't sleep.

At around three he tip-toed back downstairs and shook Derek awake. Apparently 'let sleeping dogs lie' should also be used in the occurrence of a sleeping temperamental werewolf. He was pinned to the ground in a matter of seconds staring up into Derek's blood-shot eyes. The round dilated pupils shrinking as he realised where he was and who he was choking in the middle of the rug.

"Stiles, I, what?" He pulled off him and seemed determined to put a good metre between them. "What happened?" Stiles pushed himself to a sitting position before replying.

"Dude I couldn't sleep," He stopped rubbing his throat when he realised the way Derek was following the movement. "I'm fine, I've had worse. Probably won't even bruise," He reached forward to offer some sort of comfort and Derek remained just out of reach. He dropped his hand.

"Sleep is freaky don't you think though. Just lying unconscious for hours on end, completely defenceless, I…" He stopped when he saw Derek shaking, "Okay sorry, bad thing to say,"

"I, I just," Derek still wasn't fully awake as far as Stiles could tell so he searched his mind for another topic,

"Do werewolves have bedtime stories?" He asked quickly and watched as Derek stopped rocking and looked at him as if he didn't understand the question.

"Because mum used to tell me these tales, the ones I mentioned to my dad and they kind of sound like werewolf tales. In my favourite one there was a king and his castle being terrorised by a wicked warlock, and there was this white wolf who came and transformed into this knight in shining armour who killed her, saving the people but after all the celebrations the king threw, when the full moon came she transformed back into the white wolf and disappeared into the forest again. The white wolf kind of reminds me of Erica's light fur," Derek has relaxed a lot since Stiles had started talking about the fairytale and Stiles shuffled over to him, leaning shoulder to shoulder with him to give some temporary comfort. "She'd be a knight if she could, she's brave enough; she'd kick ass,"

"She'd get in trouble over her head," could feel the fondness in the words.

"And then she'd just have to call her pack and we'd fight our way out like superheroes! I'd be batman,"

"You're not becoming a bat either,"

"What about a spider?"

"You might get stepped on," Derek reasoned and in reply Stiles huffed dramatically

"Spoilsport,"

"Or eaten,"

"Oh come on! There must be one cool acceptable non-eatable animal that would work for me,"

"Wolves are pretty cool,"

"Oh bite me!"

"Already said, I like you human,"

"Such a charmer," Stiles tucked his head onto Derek's shoulder and shut his eyes for a moment.

That moment turned into next morning when he found his dad had already gone to work and left him a note on the kitchen table and a picture message on his phone. The picture was him and Derek asleep on the sofa so tucked around each other under the blanket it only looked like one person in the dim light unless you were looking carefully. The message underneath read: _might need another chat. Have a good day :) x_

Stiles glanced back at his still sleeping companion and saved the picture to his phone. It wasn't the only message he'd been sent overnight almost all of the pack had called or messaged him to find out what had happened between him and his dad, he sent out a mass text to calm everyone's nerves telling them he'd see them later and went back to shake Derek until he woke up. He gave Stiles a pitiful look which implied he would really like to sleep longer.

"You had it easy yesterday; you can at least buy me breakfast," this demand was apparently quite easily ignored as Derek shut his eyes again and was snoring by the time Stiles came back down the stairs washed and changed. There weren't many options considering the size of this particular werewolf, sitting on him he'd barely notice, tipping the sofa wasn't an option. He briefly considered throwing a bucket of water over him but he couldn't remember if there were any of Derek's spare clothes upstairs and his Dad would kill him if he came home to a drenched couch.

"If you don't get up in the next five minutes I'm going to stop with the ear scratches when you're a wolf," the threat must have struck a nerve because one eye opened and looked at him from just above the blanket, "I could stop coming on your stupid runs all together; I wouldn't have had to deal with all this mess if I hadn't been there yesterday anyway,"

"You love the runs,"

"Doesn't mean I couldn't hang out with Lydia and Allison while you guys are charging through the woods,"

"Are you still bargaining for breakfast?"

"Yes! Oh my god I am starving and you haven't even showered or anything yet,"

"I'll be ten minutes tops; then we can go wherever you want,"

"Thank you," He flopped back onto the spot Derek had just vacated and watching him take the stairs three at a time. It still didn't feel like adequate payback for yesterday's stress so he picked up his phone again and sent another text.

Pack breakfast at Gino's in an hour. Derek's paying. That would get them all there and in a good mood. Gino's diner was used to the dozen of them descending on the place and staying for several hours almost every weekend. He often boasted to them that they were the nicest customers he had, not bothered about waiting, tipping well, tidying up and stacking the plates out of the way before they left; they even gave him and his staff several tins of chocolates at Christmas. Now that was the way to win the old guy's heart.

Stiles was just deciding between blueberry pancakes or cinnamon waffles when Derek made his appearance, hair still damp and dripping in places.

"I should have gotten you to cook for me, would have been better retribution.

"Some other time perhaps,"

"Where'd you get the change of clothes?" he asked, notice Derek's shirt no longer had bits of forest green stains down the sleeve and side.

"There's a rucksack in the back of your wardrobe with a change of clothes for everyone,"

"What?"

"Its got basic medical supplies too," he said defensively,

"Since when,"

"'Bout six months I guess, most pack houses have them," Stiles wondered whether he'd managed to sneak into the argent's house and plant a bag of werewolf washing or just passed and assumed they'd have the supplies anyway.

"You've hidden a secret stash of clothes and med stuff in people's houses," Derek shrugged and took his jacket from the hook by the front door. "Not mention something like, can I leave this stuff here in case of whatever; no, you hide it and hope no-one notices,"

"Ready to go?"

"You're still crazy in there aren't you?" he tapped his temple and Derek grinned.

"You'd have to ask Cora about that," He held the door for Stiles, "Or Peter I suppose,"

"You know most people's family traits are a big nose or musical talent," Stiles had the ears and a wicked streak from his mother's side that came out when he wasn't being listened to.

"We wouldn't like to be thought of as boring now would we?"

"I could think of a few more that fit you," He started the car and began backing out of the drive.

"Don't tell me," Derek held up his hands in surrender. But he had told Stiles not to do something.

"Well…" the twenty minute drive was also anything but boring.

"Why did you tell them I'd pay?" Derek scowled when they arrived at the diner and made their way over to their regular seats at the back.

"It's an alpha's job to provide for their pack,"

"Then make Scott pay,"

"Do you know how much Deaton pays him? Plus you owe me anyway,"

"And paying for ten werewolf appetites is my just deserves?"

"Totally! Hey you don't actually have to pay for them all; I'll just tell them it was a joke,"

"It's fine; I've just got a project I want to start working on that going to cost me a lot of my savings,"

"Oh cool, what're you doing?"

"I'd like to rebuild the house, but I'm not sure where to start yet,"

"Hey we could all help; that'd save you money,"

"No Stiles,"

"Why do you shoot down all my genius ideas?"

"You run with scissors; why would I want you anywhere near a construction site?"

"I could site manage,"

"Over the phone, from several miles away,"

"Or conveniently on site,"

"Lydia could be the site manager if I really had to pick from the lot of you," he made it sound like he was making the best of the situation

"You're one of the lot of us,"

"I can't believe my luck," He replied dryly and Stiles nudged him with his shoulder and they shared a fond look.

"Hey, I could help,"

"Do you know what an architect's design plan is?" Derek asked picking up the salt shaker and rolling it between his hands distractedly.

"Yeah, I know what you mean,"

"You could help me with that,"

"Compromise huh? I like the way you think,"

"But can you keep it to yourself? I haven't told Cora or Peter yet, I'm worried they won't want me to,"

"Hey, of course, I can keep a secret, my lips are sealed, closed, locked…" Derek gave him another look, "Lost the key,"

"Finished?" Derek asked nodding over Stiles' head and he turned to look too. The waitress was headed over to their table with a plate stacked high with blueberry pancakes.

"You phoned ahead?"

"I'd hate to make you wait for breakfast,"

"Oh I'm finished, done. That food is so mine!" The plate was placed in front of him but as Stiles reached for his cutlery Derek swiped the topmost two from the stack. Stiles cried out in anguish at the theft.

"That was my breakfast asshole,"

"And this is my payback for you waking me up in the middle of the night,"

"I had a reason, a very good reason,"

"You told me a pup story," The indignation was mocking but still audible.

"Stopped you freaking out on me. So it was a werewolf fairytale, oh my god I was brought up on werewolf bed-time stories,"

"So it seems." He paused, "I'm sorry if I hurt you last night but it was still your own fault,"

"that is completely victim blaming, you're lucky I don't have bruises, my dad would ban you from the house," Derek scowled, "Is it like that any time you wake up in the night?"

"I panicked; I didn't know where I was,"

"Sooner we get you a proper house the better,"

"I've got the apartment," He said defensively.

"No! A house that's a proper home to you," Derek shrugged,

"My home is my pack,"

"Then even more reason to get the pack helping you build the house then, make it somewhere they'll want to be; the scent thing will help won't it?"

"I'll think about it,"

"Do you have any pictures of…" he was cut off as Derek grabbed his arm to shut him up and nodded to the front entrance. Stiles smiled as Erica, Boyd, Isaac, Scott and Cora were headed their way, and in the car park the twins, Lydia and Allison were just getting out of their car. Jackson's car you could hear coming down the street.

"Pictures of what?" Isaac asked sitting down opposite them with Erica Boyd and Cora following him, while Scott pushed in against Stiles causing both him and Derek to move along the bench a way.

"He's asking about his secret stash of porn," Erica volunteered.

"Stiles keeps his in the bottom of the chest of drawers, under the khakis he never wears,"

"I don't know why you're my best friend,"

"That's exactly why I'm your best friend,"

Stiles stuck his tongue out in response as the server approached their table for the next collection of orders.

Scott pushed stiles further into Derek when Allison walked over to them so she could sit on the bench beside him and Stiles was relieved when Jackson and the twins pulled up another couple of tables closer to their little collective. Lydia took a seat between the twins and Jackson, the queen she was. After everyone had decided on food they all turned on him to question the big reveal they had somehow all been informed what had happened the previous night.

"How do you lot know I didn't spin another half-truth like every other time?" and a chorus of "Derek told us," came as a reply. Stiles didn't look at him but felt him sink into the seat a little at his side.

"Oh yeah? And what did he say?"

"Just that 'the sheriff knows'," Allison even did the air quotations and Stiles could appreciate how vague Derek's texts could be but still,

"There's not exactly much to tell; he knows, he's probably confused but he trusts I'm not lying to him now,"

"It's just that we didn't know whether you'd just come out about the thing or…"

"There was more than one thing?"

"Obviously just the animal problem then," Lydia summed up before turning to Aiden and sending him to go and make sure the chef was correctly completing her order. Okay so maybe Gino's had a small problem with Lydia's specific requests, but they'd sent out any extra food and it all was all eaten and paid for by the time the group left. Jackson smirked as the one twin left and shuffled closer to Lydia who chose to pay him no mind. Instead she leant forwards away from him to talk 'girl stuff' with Allison.

With so many around the table it was difficult to avoid knocking elbows. Derek instead chose to drape his arm across the back of the booth behind Stiles' shoulders and continue to pilfer food from nearby plates, especially Stiles' since it was closest.

No one seemed to notice when Derek dropped his arm to rest on stiles' shoulders and relieve his pocket of his phone, type out a message and hold it up in front of them both. What pics were u on bout? Stiles took the phone back and discretely typed back though still no one was taking notice of their attempt at secrecy. A. my phone has a PW u sneaky werewolf cheat B. pics of ur old house. Cud use them 4 designing new. He handed it back and waited while Derek read; he smiled and nodded. When do u want 2 start? Any plans 4 this afternoon?

It was gone one o'clock by the time most of them were satisfactorily filled and the diner had started serving the lunch menu. Stiles could feel himself tiring from trying to keep up with the multiple conversations all as entertaining and engaging as each other.

Derek's arm was now around his shoulders as it had been for about an hour now and Stiles had relaxed into it as Derek's fingers trailed up and down his upper arm absentmindedly. With some mental effort he sat forwards and nudged Scott.

"You have about a minute to convince me all the things I need to do today don't matter and I can stay here all day,"

"Nah, I should probably go as well. I promised mum I'd help tidy the house up and I'm at the surgery later," He said, pulling himself away from the table to let Stiles pass but not noticing that Derek was following him out.

"Excuse me Scott,"

"Oh whoa, you're going with him?"

"We have some work to finish,"

"What work?" Cora piped up from between Boyd and the twins.

"Not pack business, not your business," Stiles told her which clearly wasn't the right thing to say from the look on her face.

"You're both pack whatever's your business is pack business and automatically my business,"

"Bring it, I have a bodyguard," He waved a hand towards Derek who raised a wary eyebrow at him, "Do your worst sister!"

If she hadn't been in public Stiles was sure she would have leapt the table and been on him in seconds; as it was he dashed out of the door as the final words left his mouth. Bodyguard or not it wouldn't take her long to catch up. He was just reaching the door of his jeep when he was yanked back and thrown to the grassy verge at the back of the parking lot. From where his arm was locked behind him he couldn't see very far but out of the corner of his vision he saw Derek strolling over looking completely unconcerned.

"Any help with incapacitating your sister? Ow! Jesus," A knee dug into his back and he heard her laugh

"Chocolates; flowers; puppies; lifelong servitude" he listed them off on her fingers

"Wow that is so helpful right now,"

"Tell me what the big secret is between you and my brother," She leant closer and whispered but no doubt Derek could hear her anyway, "Are you dating him yet? Cause if you are consider this your warning about not hurting him, if not you should totally get with the dork," Stiles wondered what his heartbeat sounded like to the two of them and then figured he really didn't want to know.

"I wanted to rebuild the old house," Derek interjected, "Stiles was going to help me come up with some plans before I asked you,"

"Cool!" Stiles felt her release the pressure on his arm and back as she pulled off him, "I want my room silver and blue," She said waving the comment off in a 'whatever' fashion. As stiles turned over and sat up to catch his breath Derek looked surprised and confused.

"You, you don't mind," It must have been the acceptance he never expected.

"I don't like know that shell of our house is just sat out there falling apart. I don't think I could do it though; tear it down and start over,"

"How do you think Peter will take the idea?" Stiles could see that there was still nervous anticipation in how Peter would react but he didn't realise until just a minute ago how much Derek needed his remaining family's approval for this project.

"Not sure," Cora shrugged, "I know he feels like I do about it sitting out there, but he has a lot more history there than we do," Derek nodded.

"Ask him on one of his good days. Even if his world view is skewed to hell, I think he'd like to know you'd rebuild it in there memory. He might know some good protective measures for the perimeter and the structure too,"

Stiles thinks if he'd have blinked he'd have missed it, or maybe he was imagining things but later he would have sworn he saw tears in Derek's eyes just before she pulled him into a tight hug.

"Family doesn't end with blood,"

"Stiles has a better taste in TV than you do,"

"You're in denial, and mum would have loved it"

"Yeah," Cora pulled away and started to walk back towards the diner and rejoin the others. In an effort not to interrupt their moment Stiles was still sat on the floor. Derek offered him a hand and he was soon on his feet brushing the dirt from his clothes; it didn't make much difference. Derek stood there silently.

"Sometimes, she scares me as much as you used to,"

"I'll have to try harder then,"

"Nah, you've got all your other qualities: annoying, frustrating, patronising, rude, but scare factor you lost when I was snooping through your apartment when I crashed there that time it was raining and gale force winds," He said pulling his keys from his pocket and getting into his truck, Derek following. "Where am I heading?"

"My apartment, I should have some of the picture there," Stiles pulled the car out and turned the music up as always. Derek was quiet for some time until finally coming out with…

"How did your snooping stop me being scary?"

"Found your kryptonite; the secret bag of Oreos and Reese's prove you're not all grrr,"

"You found a bag of that and suddenly that's what makes you not act like I'm going to take your head off at every turn. Not that we're pack or that you're the one I trust most, or that I help, protect and listen to you more that anyone because you always feel like your being left behind and have to do everything for yourself but I know I could convince you that's not true. No, you do…this, because you found a bag of Reese's in my apartment!"

"Well uh, kinda,"

"They were for Cora's birthday!"

"Hey dude, can we not do this while I'm driving, seriously like five minutes and we're at your place where I don't have to concentrate on like a dozen things at once,"

Derek huffed and stared out of the window for the remainder of the journey. He didn't wait in the car one second longer than it took Stiles to stop before he was out of the door and disappearing into the building. Stiles had his own key to the place but he didn't know whether following him up there would be the wisest plan. The resolve not to leave Derek in a self destructive state won out and he lock up the car and climbed the four flights of stairs. Derek's door was open waiting for him and Derek was inside pacing, Stiles could hear him before he pushed the door fully open and Derek stopped and stared at him.

"Funnily enough Derek I don't know what's going on in your head but you can stop glaring at me. It. doesn't. Work." He closed the door behind him as Derek loomed closer into his space.

"No, because you think you figured out I had a secret Oreo and Reese's addiction which in you tiny world made me more human. I'm not human Stiles,"

"Sorry to burst your bubble that you're not the big bad lone wolf you like to think you are,"

"I really want to punch you in the face," His voice rumbles and he turned on his heel and walked away to the bedroom. Stiles scowled at his back as he left the room but he wasn't about to leave. He sat down on the sofa and started reading one of the books Derek had left on the table; it was only half in English, the other half in Latin but didn't seem to be about anything supernatural. He put it down again when Derek re-entered the room and stood on the other side of the coffee table looking down at him.

"Oh no you don't!" Stiles pointed to the seat next to him, "Sit. You're not doing the authority posturing now," Derek reluctantly moved around the table and dropped onto the next seat along.

"You stopped being scared of me because you looked around my personal property,"

"Hey you were being nice, like really awkward but I just thought I was seeing you in a different light now I knew you didn't just spend your time practicing your scowl. I thought it was just like you'd forgotten about how to do affection or something,"

"I was nice to you because I wanted to be Stiles,"

"Don't strain yourself big fella,"

"I still want to punch you in the face,"

"That wouldn't fit with your 'be nice to Stiles routine,"

"I could make an exception,"

"Could the exception be made in the way we just forget this stupid argument ever happened?" Stiles asked and Derek sighed and hung he head as he rubbed his neck.

"Fine."

"Hey dude if you've got more to say go ahead but I really don't understand why we were yelling so I'd rather move on,"

"Come on, I'll find those pictures you were asking about," He stood up and after a few moments Stiles followed him.

It turned out when Derek and Cora had left on their little soul-searching summer trip they'd encountered several other packs who remembered the Hale pack in their prime. There were family and pack photo albums; there were diaries and family trees, all of which had been gifted to the Hale's on their departure. They spread all the books across the living room rug and floor and picked through them for hours. Stiles became focussed on the family photo albums after he found a picture of twelve year old Derek half way up a tree.

"Were you a brave or a stupid kid," he asked pointing to the photo.

"I was intelligent and curious,"

"Well that's rubbish, Cora's said…"

"Cora lies," he raised and eyebrow

"Hey, so do you,"

"I had a newt collection for a while, Cora tried to eat them so I let them back out into the wild,"

"Dad bought me one of those sea monkey growing kits once, and Scott spilled Pepsi in the tank and I think it killed them all,"

"I could get you some fish; it'd keep you entertained for hours,"

"You're probably right but I'd also have to clean the tank and everything,"

"It wouldn't take too much effort,"

"Build your house and we'll have joint responsibility of the fish," Stiles proposed and Derek nodded and smiled. "And I promise not to walk our and leave you as a single parent," He held a hand over his heart and tried to look solemn.

"And no pawning them off for Scott and Isaac to look after,"

"You don't know what you're talking about; they'd make great uncles!"

"Erica might eat them,"

"She might not if we let her name one,"

"If we let her name one they'd all have to name one, how big a tank do you think I can afford,"

"You can have a whole wall of fish tank, in the kitchen or something,"

"That'd only encourage Erica if she was peckish,"

"We'd get her to sign an agreement that makes her honour bound to protect them with her life," Derek chuckled. It was then that Stiles noticed the time and set the book he was reading down on the floor.

"It's almost seven; I should probably get home before my dad starts wondering where I am for dinner,"

"Take some of the albums with you if you want, come up with some ideas for what you want in the house," Derek picked up Stiles' discarded book and held it back up to him.

"Cool, thanks," Grabbing the album he'd been half way through and two other untouched from the mess around them.

"When do you actually want to start working on the plans then?"

"Uh, tomorrow; is that good for you?" Derek nodded. "Tomorrow then, I'll pick up some food on the way over,"

"That might be acceptable,"

"You'll love it," Stiles said dragging his hand across Derek's shoulders as he passed behind him, "Night Derek,"

Stiles reached the front door as he saw his dad turn the car at the end of the street. He fist-pumped his good luck and proceeded to turn on lights, drop the take-out menus open on the coffee table and switch the TV to make it look like he'd had a lot more time to spare.

"You know I half expected Hale to still be here when I got back," His dad said as he walked in and dropped his badge, jacket and other work stuff on the side table by the door.

"He comes to the house once and you think he's going to move in? We need to have guests round more often, remind you how to host properly,"

"He wasn't just a guest,"

"No, he was your interrogation practice," Stiles threw his Dad a spare t-shirt which he then changed in to, throwing his other in the direction of the washer.

"I was doing my job,"

"Really,"

"I'm your father," He said sincerely.

"I think you've got your wires crossed,"

"You're telling me he's not important to you," He sat down on the sofa next to Stiles and started browsing the take out choices nonchalantly; Stiles could see the challenge, he just didn't know what he was fighting for.

"Of course he is, he's my pack; my friend,"

"Stiles," He said as exasperatedly as if he's just had a call about Stiles skipping gym, "…and,"

"What do you want me to say? Crazy psycho or something, cause he grew out of that phase,"

"Well there's something between you two, would you rather I get it out of Scott?"

"Ask away, I don't have a clue what you're getting at,"

"Never mind then." The conversation dropped and they both stared at the screen of the TV for a few minutes before Stiles' dad broke the perfectly contented silence, "I phoned your aunt Sara on my lunch break today,"

"Aunt Sara?"

"Not technically your aunt but she was a really close friend to your mum's family, she's near Yellowstone now,"

"That's… nice?"

"She was asking about you, she knew the Hales back in the day,"

"Knew them?" Stiles asked sceptically.

"She'd like you to visit in your next break,"

"The pack? See dad, werewolves have this territory thing, even college for everyone is a push,"

"I'm not sure, maybe just a couple of you then, I'll jot down her number and you can call her tomorrow,"

"Why'd you call her dad?"

"She's always good for a chat; likes to hear from us, see what you're up to,"

"You've never mentioned a Sara before,"

"Of course I have, she used to visit every summer when your mum was around. She calls every now and again,"

"Since when?"

"Don't be difficult Stiles," his dad scolded, "anyway you can call her tomorrow and go up and see her in your school break. It'll do you good to see more than this little town,"

"Sure dad I'll ask the pack what they think of going on a road trip,"

"She's an old friend Stiles. You can't ignore them when people like Sara would gladly help you if ever you were in trouble,"

"Its not ignoring them, its I don't remember this woman at all and don't especially want to stay with a stranger my dad thinks he knows,"

"Call her; you'll remember her once you see her,"

"Yeah dad, sure. What do you want me to order for dinner anyhow?"

The abrupt change of subject didn't seem to faze his dad at all, but that might have been from years of Stiles' jumpy and disconnected conversations as his brain worked several times faster than his mouth.

He wasn't suspicious, no; his dad wouldn't just launch into a conversation about some woman he doesn't know but Stiles for the life of him couldn't figure out who this Sara living in Yellowstone was. He sent Derek a text asking about any Sara his family might have known. He sent another text to Scott, this one asking about his policy on his most important man running away across the country. The instant reply of 'take me with you' wasn't especially surprising. However, planning to runaway from home with Scott wasn't a new idea; and from their last plan to find adventure in the big wide world Stiles' figured they would have a much better chance ten years on. He ordered in the food stuffed some plates in the oven to warm up, grabbed the sauces and rejoined his dad on the sofa.

It really should have shaken him up a lot more when he walked into his room and a dark figure loomed behind the door. Stiles would like to think he didn't flinch but from the twitch of his intruder's lips that soon turned into a full blown grin, the fact that Stiles' hand was already on the small knife at his side was no where close to going unnoticed.

"The upside of tell my dad about pack means you can use the door y'know," Stiles released the knife in favour of shoving Scott into the chest of drawers.

"Bit boring don't you think? Still want help packing for our runaway?"

"You can't bring Allison with us dude, we wouldn't get as far as the highway," He pulled out the desk chair and Scott lay propped up on the bed.

"If you went we'd all track you down regardless,"

"That's sweet but totally disregarding the fact that Jackson wouldn't give a damn and me leaving could be a distraction for someone else coming in on your territory,"

"I've peed up enough trees, I think we're good," he shrugged.

"That's gross dude,"

"It's in my nature!" Scott protested completely unconvincingly.

"You cannot keep using that excuse," he threw a pencil at Scott, which he caught without much effort.

"So what's going on in Wyoming?"

Stiles scowled, "Have you ever heard me or dad mention an Aunt Sara? Not really an aunt; sort of one of mum's friends or something?"

"Don't know, if you did I've forgotten,"

"Dad says he phoned her today, like they keep in touch every few months and she knew the Hales. I don't know what exactly Dad told her but apparently she wants me to go see her in the break. Dad wants me to phone her tomorrow but I swear I've never heard of this woman,"

"A phone call couldn't hurt, I guess,"

"I want it noted that you're way too trusting to be an alpha. Like the stuff with Peter, He's plotting your downfall and demise and you're letting him think he's just going to kill you an assume alpha-hood,"

"Derek and Cora are keeping an eye on him, you know they can't actually be around him twenty-four seven,"

"Deaton's suggested calming tablets like we give the aggressive dogs,"

"Hmm maybe, or just chain him up and leave him in the woods,"

"I know you don't actually hate him as much as you say,"

"He's try to kill you. Have you got selective hearing or should I just say it louder or in Spanish or I don't even know,"

"He can't hurt me without losing the pack which would also include the stability his wolf craves. Our pack is different to most, it's not designed around the best fighter so he wouldn't assume control if he did take me out,"

"All those times we almost lost people, you don't think maybe having a top fighter just to intimidate the threat to us might help,"

"We have fighters, peter…"

"Who wants to kill you?"

"Ethan and Aiden,"

"Who to be fair, tried to kill most of us before suddenly being all up and cosy with you,"

"They submitted, they want to be here, and we've got Derek too,"

"Cora can take Derek out,"

"Derek lets her. Besides I thought you were still scared of him,"

"I was! Still am occasionally, but dude I trust him; he looks out for me, I know that,"

"If you were a wolf this would be some much easier,"

"What?"

"He looks out for you, dude,"

"We're pack; we look out for each other,"

"He's stood at the end of your street on the look out for any threats right now. He followed me to see who I was and where I was going, keeping downwind,"

"Hey, I trained him out of that creepiness," Stiles stormed across to the window, pushed it up and leant out, "Derek stop being a moron; go home and go to bed,"

He shut the window and went back to his chair poking Scott in the side as he passed, "See sorted,"

"Oh you have no idea, and you say me and Allison were bad,"

"'She's a jewel and you're her teddy bear'," He clutched at his chest and put on his sweetest mocking voice, "yeah I really don't see the comparison,"

"You called him names," it was a poor suggestion and they both

"And he says I'm a pain in the ass, I'm not seeing this bro,"

"You two hang out more than you and I do; if you're such a pain in the ass to him explain that,"

"The poor guy needs the company, you realise his second function that isn't wolf is hermit,"

"I'm going to get Allison to talk to you; she'd make you understand,"

"I'll give you a shining recommendation if you stop talking around the subject and either a. tell me what you're actually getting at, or b. forget about the subject completely and help me figure out who this Sara is and whether I should go see her or not,"

"Ethan and Aiden know Wyoming," No matter how much Scott tried to get Stiles to warm up to the twin's presence nothing came close to successful.

"Not for its scenery." Stiles could just imagine it; Ethan and Aiden, Danny, Lydia and Jackson. If it was even suggested it was a road trip Erica, Boyd and Isaac would be along for the ride. That would leave Derek, Scott, Allison and Cora to hold down the territory, and knowing their luck, calamity would inevitably strike while the pack was separated.

"Cora?"

"She's closer to Peter, you need her here,"

"Erica and Boyd?"

"Erica would rather go shopping, Boyd would hopelessly follow," Scott rolled his eyes

"Who do you want to take with you then Stiles? Derek?" Stiles shook his head quickly.

"He's got to stay here, with his pack. I could go on my own you know,"

"If you don't know her you're not going on your own,"

"Yes dad,"

"What about Allison?"

"If Allison came with me you'd never get off the phone with her to make sure she's okay,"

"I wouldn't! I know she can look after herself," Stiles didn't believe him and Scott had never really mastered how to bluff it.

"Scotty its cool really, I can go on my own, it'll be fun, and I'll do daily updates,"

"Just don't do anything I wouldn't do,"

"You couldn't think of half of my great ideas,"

"Whatever; hey could I stay here tonight? Mum's working all night," Stiles shrugged,

"Will I wake up being crushed by half a dozen werewolves again? Which I'll then have to sneak out past my dad," He didn't have to anymore but they'd never really sat down and explained pack-ness.

"I didn't ask them to come, we just like knowing where each other is," Winding Scott up about stuff like this was easy, that didn't mean that Stiles didn't get the feeling of comfort that came with having his pack around

"Use the GPS on my phone, its more convenient,"

"I can't promise they won't turn up here,"

"You have the power to tell them all to scram; or at least not open the window for them,"

"You leave the window open for me!"

"I lock it at night for, surprise surprise, security,"

"Werewolves are better security than locking your windows,"

"Also better at getting you into trouble, name one of you who actually sleeps at their own house on their own any more,"

"Just you; and no-one has a clue why." Scott huffed and gave Stiles a glare, "You don't talk about it and pretend like me and Allison don't know exactly how you feel, The pack sleeping helps, it makes us feel warm and whole,"

"I know," Stiles admitted, eyes on the floor, "I know alright,"

"Then why won't you let yourself feel better?" Stiles wondered how some people never saw his best friend as a giant puppy at times like this; so sad because someone else won't be happy.

"It's just weird for me, and I don't know if I can just deal,"

"Its no secret you sleep with Derek, y'know,"

"Don't say it like that," Stiles snapped at him and Scott shut up, looking taken aback, "Are you gonna shower first?" Stiles asked after a little while, finding out a pair of Scott's pyjama bottoms from his chest of drawers and holding them out to Scott.

"You could just try tonight; I'd make some excuse for them to leave if you really didn't like it,"

"Shower? Yes, no,"

"It's not some sort of punishment. If anything, it helps us stay closer,"

"Give me five minutes Scott, seriously,"

Scott gave him a small apologetic smile took the clothes and shoulder bumped him as he passed him and headed out into the hall. Stiles ran a hand through his hair and looked around his room. He pushed a few drawers closed and shoved his pile of dirty clothes into the wardrobe straightened up the papers on his desk before moving over to the window. He could hear the shower running as he opened the window and called out,

"Hey Derek, you still out there?"

He waited a few seconds and couldn't see any movement, "Or anyone else out there,"

Cora dropped down in front of him looking fairly apathetic. He fell backwards a bit and looked back at her indignantly.

"You sent him to bed like a pre-schooler," She told him, raising her eyebrows judgementally.

"You're all as creepy as each other; he stalks up and down the street and you sit like a gargoyle on the roof,"

"I'm being paid for my time. I might as well get a nice view," she shrugged.

"What?"

"What do you want Stiles?" She ignored his question.

"Is anyone else around out there?"

"Peter's running the woods with the twins, Isaac's two streets over waiting for Scott to come back, but from the look of things he's not going to. Are we all invited in?"

"Are you going to rearrange my desk and wake up my dad?"

"We werewolves can be light footed you know," Stiles looked her up and down before stepping back and beckoning her in.

"Call the others then, sleepover at casa de Stilinski," she nodded but didn't move to climb through, in favour more of jumping back up to the higher panel of the roof waving her phone around for better signal, "I told you to switch providers," he called up to her and shut the window to. Scott was just coming Isaac opened the window and the grin that spread across his face was contagious. He looked over to Stiles who smiled back, up until the point when Scott jumped at him and tackled him to the bed laughing.

"Dude calm down, I swear I'll kick you out and let the others stay," Scott pulled back and gave him a serious stare,

"That's mean,"

"Fine, oh mighty alpha, go get a DVD for the laptop I'm not being suffocated to death without a decent soundtrack," Scott dragged Isaac with him out of the door whispering and Stiles hoped his dad didn't decide he needed the toilet in the middle of the night. While he waited for his friends to return he changed quickly into a loose top and jogging bottoms. He was just setting up his laptop when his next visitor arrived.

Allison knocked before coming in and it said a lot when Stiles wasn't phased in the slightest that she too came through the window. She told him that Lydia and Jackson weren't coming. Stiles didn't feel as bad as he used to about that. Lydia wasn't going to play him for attention, as much as he used to wish she would.

Cora ducked in after that followed by Erica and Boyd; who stole a spare cushion and sat next to the bed leaning back against one of Erica's legs, as the girls dropped back onto the bed and got comfortable. Isaac trotted in through the door in full wolf form jumped up and Stiles couldn't help but roll his eyes. In Isaac's mouth was the DVD he had chosen; Avengers Assemble. Definitely a Scott choice, Stiles thought. The bed really wasn't made to hold this many people so when the twins arrived and sat next to Boyd on the floor Stiles would have sworn he heard it sigh in relief.

Where he was stood with his back to the window he was largely ignored as the pack play fought. For a minute he was tempted to warn them about claw marks in the mattress when he felt someone standing behind him. He turned to see Derek stood there smiling at him contentedly.

"I thought I sent you home?"

"I have conflicting evidence," he held up a demanding text from Cora. "Besides, would you rather I leave you with all of them," He raised an eyebrow and gave Stiles a similar knowing look to the one Cora had earlier.

"Hey I can take care of this lot with a snap of my fingers," all the wolves in the room broke off their conversations and turned to give him an unimpressed look.

"Would you rather I leave now then?"

"Hell no,"

"Good." He turned Stiles by the shoulders and with a hand at his back, directed him towards the bed.

"Hey, no wolfy man-handling,"

"Sit," Derek told him; Stiles sat and shuffled backwards until he hit the headboard Cora threw his duvet over several of them, not that they'd need it with the combined body heat. Scott wandered in at that moment with several tubs of ice cream to share between them. Stiles wondered if his dad would actually notice them missing and if he'd have to replace them. Derek relieved Scott of one tub and dropped in Stiles' lap. He then waved his hand towards Stiles.

"Move over then,"

"Where exactly do you expect me to go," He asked sardonically, with so many people sat on and around the bed there was genuinely no-where for him to go.

"Forwards,"

"Seriously?" He didn't have much time to contemplate the demand before he was pulled forwards by Erica yanking him out of the way and Derek sat down behind him and gently pulled him back to lean against his legs and chest. Derek's arm's curled around his waist and stole the ice cream back.

"Rude,"

"Relax, it's our pack," Derek said quietly in his ear. It didn't have the desired effect immediately, but Stiles could feel himself settling more comfortably as the opening credits started. Erica leant her head on his shoulder and Isaac's, still fur covered chin was resting on his ankle. The coldness deep inside himself wasn't as icy but in the back of his mind the insecurity and discomfort tried to press forwards. It was too easy just to sink into this feeling of comfort and the thoughts were finally vanquished when the arms around him tightened and Stiles fell fast asleep.

Waking up was not so comfortable, with the covers on the bed thrown off somewhere onto the floor in the middle of the night and the room temperature was colder than and wake up should have been Stiles shivered and curled in on himself around a pillow. A wet and cold muzzle pushed between his arms and his face and refused to back off. When Stiles gave up attempting to push it away it climbed on the bed to provide some warmth instead. Cuddling with a wolf was much easier to accept he was half asleep. He opened one eye to find it was Erica who had joined him; Odd since she usually preferred her human form. Minutes later when the smell of breakfast started drifting into the room he realised she was escaping cooking duties and that was fairly understandable.

Erica hated cooking. Well that wasn't particularly true. She enjoyed cooking, but not even she could joyfully eat anything she prepared. It was the throwing things together and making a mess she enjoyed and Boyd took on the job of confining her to the kitchen until she had cleaned it back up again. They'd still find bits of cake and batter mix in odd places for days afterwards.

Alison couldn't particularly cook either but Isaac, through long years of having to look after himself, was always willing to, and Alison was learning from him. For Scott's last birthday the two of them had baked five cakes, one for each letter of his name so that everyone had plenty. Food fights when several of the participants decided to transform into wolves was especially horrible when they were then hosed down to remove all the cake from their fur. Stiles still laughed at the memory of them shivering and then chasing him down to shake the freezing water all over him. Packs share of course.

Even with the smell of food cooking Stiles didn't much want to move from the bed. Erica, he presumed, had already stolen something since she fell back asleep beside him. Muzzle on his chest. Stiles wondered whether his dad had left for work before or after they descended on the kitchen. He was pulled from his daydreams when Derek stepped into the doorway.

"They'll only stay off the food so long; I'm not paying for breakfast again,"

"What, I don't get breakfast in bed?"

"You're not that special,"

"I totally am," Stiles he said half-heartedly but eased himself out from where Erica lay, grabbed some clothes from the dresser and escaped into the bathroom to change.

There wasn't a lot left by the time he came downstairs but a plate of scrambled eggs on toast found its way to his lap amid the madness and some reimbursement notes and I. were left under magnets on the fridge. Lydia and Jackson had turned up to join them and of course had both claimed seats rather that patches of floor space for themselves. Derek was keeping close as usual and Stiles could see out of the corner of his eye that Lydia was giving him a look meaning they had something to discuss; or rather 'Stiles you've missed something important and why am I surrounding by idiots'. Despite her immunity there was still some wolf in her when she corner him as he finished his breakfast and went to tidy away his plate.

"Did you read the articles I found you on werewolf pack dynamics?" she started.

"Which ones?" He asked shutting up the dishwasher and setting it to run. He figured he'd have plenty of time to tidy up before his dad got home this afternoon.

"That's a no then," she huffed, "Werewolves have a protective and possessive nature. It was in one of the journals."

"Like you couldn't handle Jackson or Aiden if they were getting possessive,"

"Derek does it to you," Stiles nervously laughed and gave her a confused look and she continued regardless, "Yes he can hear me right now and no he can't deny it because he's so stupidly stuck on you Stiles its untrue,"

"Why exactly are you telling me this?" Stiles shot a look towards the living room where it had all gone unsurprisingly quite

"You do not understand how essential it is to a werewolf to express these impulses. The less they express the behaviour the more unbalanced their anchor becomes,"

"Lydia I thought you practice the art of how to be tactful,"

"You're threatening the pack! How oblivious do you have to be to miss everything that goes one between you two idiots And everyone can see the potential casualties and collateral damage if you don't do something about it," Lydia was fuming and Stiles merely standing in front of her acting dismissive of her made her lash out and push him into the kitchen counter. "This is your pack damn it Stiles!"

"Just because some dusty old journal says something doesn't mean, you get to make these decisions for me. I'm going upstairs, I'll see everyone later okay," Stiles thought he was about to face another confrontation when he came face to face with Scott blocking his way at the foot of the stairs. Scott had laid a hand on his shoulder reassuringly to which he nodded, and pushed past him.

He really shouldn't have been surprised about it being Lydia confronting him: Derek would never ask for himself, Scott would never push Stiles into anything, Alison had long since learned the value of making a choice for yourself; never mind the other wolves could probably sense it but couldn't say anything to their alpha's right hand. Derek wasn't unstable yet, and the connection wasn't completely unacknowledged.

He grabbed his phone and wallet as he made a stealthy escape through the window; a practiced skill when he'd felt the need to escape in pursuit of something interesting and he was technically grounded. He was just about to jump down when he spotted Alison and Jackson ushering Lydia to the car. She still looked ready to rip him a new one and he ducked when he saw her turn to glance back at the house. Privacy was practically a foreign word to the pack, but right now Stiles needed it. His mind was just as troubled as it had been since Derek had first explained himself. Stiles' cocky attitude had freaked the fuck out, because how often do you hear the words 'You are my anchor now, I am your wolf for as long as I live,' it was followed by the whisper of ' please don't leave just yet,'. Stiles heart could have broken at that. He'd all but lost his voice as Derek told him about the connection that had developed between them.

"You need me?" Stiles had asked,

"Yes,"

"Why? Cause dude have you noticed this?" because after all he was just Stiles: debatably good timing in dire situations, awkward, chatty, and obsessive; never mind his problem with authority. Stiles hadn't even heard Derek's reasoning, caring for people was what Stiles did, of course he cared about Derek. It scared the hell out of him and as much as he could run his mouth off at times, he couldn't explain to Derek, never mind the pack, why.

Somehow though Derek did understand, he wouldn't pressure Stiles, he wouldn't ask for anything, and Stiles could tell him to back off if it was too much. Most of the time though it wasn't; being close to Derek was what warmed the ice deep inside him that threatened to pull him into a deep depression all too easily. Being close to Derek meant he wasn't as alone as he felt. A long time ago he would happily done the same for Lydia; he could picture a future with Derek. In the same way he couldn't picture his future without Derek and his pack, but the darkness was very real, and he'd never been very good at coping with losing people.

Maybe that was how Derek understood, they'd all lost so much and clinging on to what is left was difficult. Stiles had disconnected when Derek and Cora had left after the Alpha pack threat dissolved. Even Scott struggled to pull Stiles back from the darkness that was driving him into a sleepless breakdown. His own personal madness had made it so easy to reject the nature of the pack's togetherness. Derek had turned up, with his own minor breakdown and Stiles had found him curled up in wolf form on the bed. Stiles' exhaustion caught up with him in minutes and since Derek didn't move, Stiles had fallen asleep next to him and slept through until he'd woken up to Derek stealing his clothes and attempting to sneak back out of the window. It was easier when the pack were in their canine form, no need for words or explanations; most of the pack even preferred their wolf transformation for sleeping and running.

Stiles' thoughts were still preoccupied when someone walked up and matched his stride. He looked to his side to find Peter Hale as company; he never glanced at Stiles, a bored smug expression covering his features as he silently directed them to the public park and to one of the benches.

"You still don't trust me," He said as he sat, it was clear he's pick this particular spot for its vantage point.

"I really surprised it took you this long to realise this,"

"I'm making the observation since I have been asked for information on a contact of yours,"

"So what do you know?"

"Sara Lukas, friend of the Hale pack, left after the Nemeton was destroyed, I take it she's interested now that you have restored the beacon's power,"

"I haven't called her yet but she wouldn't be the first to try to use it. How well did you know her?"

"She was useful to the pack, Talia had more contact with her but she was the source of the protection sigils that were placed on various trees around the property. They were designed to allow the Hale pack to draw on the earth's energy for health and strength; they also offered an extra awareness of the area. When the fire started at the house I couldn't feel the extra power they usually gave us, the hunters must have cuts us off from their energy,"

"Has Derek mentioned to you…"

"About rebuilding the house? Yes, I take it you'll be assisting,"

"I think he'd like the whole pack involved in bringing it all together,"

"If and when you do find out more from this woman you test it as best you can before introducing it to your friends,"

"So she's not trustworthy?"

"As any manipulator, she needs a source of her power. When the Nemeton of Beacon hills was destroyed she moved on, as far as I know she made no contact with the remaining Hale pack,"

"So a useful source, not a reliable ally, got it. Anything else?"

"I have a question of my own in fact," Stiles rolled his eyes but gestured for him to continue, "Have you considered how key a piece you play in all these games?"

"Games? You seriously need to cut down on your TV time"

"You misunderstand me, as I think you underestimate your importance," He said standing from the bench and looking down as Stiles as his disapproving teachers used to.

"You're weird; we've established that too; what are you trying to get from me so I can say no now to save you the effort?"

"I want the best," He didn't leave Stiles time to respond; he turned and walked away.

Peter Hale could play every piece on the board for their strengths and weaknesses and loathe as Stiles was to need his help he was glad of the background information on Sara. From his impression of her she sounded a lot like Peter and his desire for Alpha power. He wondered if she'd only wanted to meet with them for the power of the Nemeton and what they could gain from her. The protective sigils sounded tried and tested but the theory behind them would be more valuable. He counted to one hundred after Peter had left in hopes of some privacy before pulling out his phone and dialling the number his Dad had sent him.

It rang out several times before Stiles heard a click and heard someone answer.

"Hi, is that Sara?

"Who's asking dear?" The voice sounded old and feminine so maybe first impressions were honest ones.

"It Stiles, Stiles Stilinski. My dad was talking to you yesterday,"

"Ah, little Stiles! I was hoping to hear from you soon,"

"Yeah, dad mentioned something like that. I uh, haven't seen you in a while,"

"Well no, I suppose the last time I saw you was one of your birthday parties; you must have been about nine or ten. Like a little whirlwind, curious about everything. When your dad told me you were a friend of the Hales I was hardly surprised at all. People like me and you get drawn into their flame,"

"Uh, people like you and me?"

"Your desire to run head first into adventure and trouble is not a character flaw Stiles. You're drawn to the adrenaline rush of chaos; it's as much a necessity as food and water,"

"I wouldn't call it a desire…"

"And yet it is oddly unavoidable, don't you think?"

"What do you know about me?"

"I'd like to meet with you Stiles, I'd like to help you; you and your pack. After all Hales have always been in need of protection"

"And in return?"

"A favour from your alpha, with a new alpha I must ask permission to draw power originating from their territory. I'd be grateful of you encouraging such a favour with Alpha Hale, I've heard you have quite an involvement with the pack," Stiles wasn't going to correct her out of date information. It might upset the balance of stupid.

"My dad wouldn't have told you that,"

"Then perhaps I have other contacts than your father,"

"So you want an alliance?" He said changing the subject to avoid talking about his dad too much.

"Of course you may be distrustful of me since you do not know me yourself. As I said before, I would like to meet you Stiles. Your father suggested in your term break in a few weeks,"

"Just me?"

"I'm sure you'll be a fine judge of character. And I used to know you Stiles; you have an aptitude for the skills I could show you. I'd hate your friends to end up as a distraction if we have such limited time to work together,"

"I'll talk to my pack about it,"

"Good, good," She gave him her full name and address assuming he'd do a background check and he assured her he'd call again when he had anything to discuss; they said goodbye.

He waited a moment and glanced around; there didn't look as if there was anyone within earshot but Stiles second guessed his senses.

"I'm done now, you can come out of your not so sneaky hiding place," he said out loud, scanning the park and its entrances. It wasn't often any of the pack were on their own. He was basically their stalking practice. Once he'd caught them out he'd found out they'd been stealing various things from him for months. Take it from him in public and leave it in his room without being caught or seen. It was Isaac he'd caught trying to unthread his laces after being dared to by Cora; apparently taking a sock while he was wearing it was too much though.

"You'd make an awesome Batman," he twisted around, startled to see Erica stood behind him. "Or maybe not." She sat down and offered him half a chocolate bar she was eating.

"You're getting predictable,"

"Or maybe I just wasn't in the mood to hide in the shadows when you're such lovely company,"

"Where'd Boyd?"

"Asleep. He didn't sleep well last night. He may have been protecting you all from my flailing.

"Such a graceful beauty as yourself flailing? I don't believe it. Scott flails. I flail!"

"Then I supposed he saved me my reputation," She said pushing the rest of the chocolate into her mouth and then smiling with her fangs showing.

"A true gentleman for a lady such as yourself,"

"Are you a true gentleman Stiles?" he narrowed his eyes at her and leaned in conspiratorially.

"What do you want?" he said in hushed tones. She leaned in to reply with a grin.

"Run away with me Stiles, show me something exciting"

"Y'know, the stalking I reluctantly accept. You don't need to listen in to my private conversations." Erica waved off the comment.

"She sounded wrong. Like she was trying to hard to keep up an act,"

"You can't hear that over a phone."

"But you heard it; you were suspicious. She was desperate, not under duress I don't think, but definitely more than she was letting on,"

"She works with the supernatural, of course there's more than she'd letting on,"

"Let me come with you, I can be discrete." She wasn't at all accustomed to begging.

"You can also be impulsive. You won't hear me if I tell you to stop or hold back like you would Scott,"

"Who gives the best hugs when you're homesick across the other side of the country?"

"Probably Scott or Isaac but they would be just as bad, its not that far anyway. I could probably still be able to hear you all howl," she pushed him

"You're just going to take Derek aren't you," she pouted and sat back on the bench crossing her arms.

"I can't take him either,"

"You've got to take someone! What if you disconnect?"

"Kind of what I'm hoping for,"

"What?"

"I mean think about it. I know I should feel like a part of you guys, I'm pack, you keep telling me, but I still feel like the token human. I'm a liability and now I'm hurting the pack by not accepting whatever screwed up curse I brought down on Derek when I helped heal him,"

"Stiles, you helped heal him. None of us could ask you for anything more,"

"I don't regret helping him. I did what I could, I just didn't do it right and now he's got this stupid attachment to me that he wouldn't have to suffer if I hadn't screwed up!"

"Get up." She ordered. "Get up and go and tell him you don't think his feelings for you are real," it felt like a bucket of ice water had been thrown at him and all it was were the truths in her words.

"Lydia really gets a point across doesn't she?"

"I'm not backing up Lydia, maybe you two shouldn't resolve this the easy way," She huffed and flicked her hair, clearly irritated. "You've never done anything the easy way before,"

"Says the walking example of objectivity," he snapped back at her. She stared him down both knowing how stupid this way, leaning further and further forwards in mock intimidation until Erica stuck her claws into Stiles' leg. He yelped.

"You're a horrible person,"

"Aren't I though!"

He glared at her.

Stiles spent the next few weeks packing his bag in secret. He called Sara back and agreed on a date for him to arrive and she told him to book a room at a B&B one of her friends ran, it was only a ten minute walk away from her shop and home and would give him some space of his own.

As with many afternoons after classes let out, Stiles was yelling at the console and TV screen moved from Scott's house to Derek's loft. Isaac, Cora and Scott surrounded him and Derek had only just let them in before he'd disappeared from the room. House rules were simple: don't leave a mess, don't leave empty cartons in the fridge. That was pretty lackadaisical rules for a house full of teenage werewolves, but it actually kept everyone in line. Even if he wasn't an alpha any more he only moaned about providing for his pack when Erica dipped into his funds to pay for new hair products and make up; at which point Cora would suggest Erica show Derek how to pluck his eyebrows. It wasn't a pretty argument, but always one Stiles felt compelled to stick around for.

"Are we ordering in pizza tonight again?" Isaac asked as his character died once again. He dropped the controller onto the coffee table and slung his arms back around Stiles and Scott.

"I want Chinese," Stiles volunteered.

"I had Chinese last night," Cora complained elbowing Stiles in the guts.

"Tough luck Hale," He countered, determinedly pursuing her character and aiming a kill shot.

"How about you show off your awesome cooking skills Stilinski?"

"I could do that," He fired the shot and Cora's screen flashed and faded to black. "I'd have to check the kitchen cupboards though. Would anyone be willing to go on a store run?"

"Call Erica and Boyd, they could pick up some stuff on their way over here," Cora suggested, knocking the controller from Stiles' hands in retaliation.

"Interrupt Erica's date night? Do you want to end up crippled?" He didn't bother to pick the controller back up again. Scott and Cora ended up head to head and both weren't going to be easily distracted after that. He stood up, brushed himself off and headed back towards the kitchen to search the cupboards. Admittedly, there wasn't a lot. Any time the pack came over they soon cleared out any snack food. Freezer food lasted a little longer and fresh fruit and veg surprisingly lasted longest of all since no-one often had the motivation to stand and cook for very long. Stiles pulled out everything he could find and stacked in on the centre island.

"Huh," he considered his options. "How would everyone feel about stir fry?" he called into the other room and a resounding "yes!" came as a reply.

"Then someone can go pick up some chicken then!"

"I'll go," Derek said from behind Stiles. He spun on the spot to see Derek in the other doorway, "Do you need anything else?"

"I could make dessert too if you want?"

"We want!" Cora yelled from the other room.

"I'll write a list," He scavenged an old receipt and a pen and jotted down the ten or so things. And Derek stepped closer to take it from him.

"Can we talk later? When the others have left?"

"Cora lives here," Stiles replied, incredulously

"I'll walk you down to your car or something,"

"Uh yeah, sure." Stiles said, slightly apprehensively.

"Its just about your trip," Derek murmured

"Okay," Stiles nodded and watched as Derek left with the list. Stiles returned to the counter and started preparing the other veg for the pan.

"Does he know something I don't?" Scott asked, making Stiles jump and miss the carrot in favour of his finger. He winced at the pain and shot Scott a deadpan glare.

"I'm belling you I swear," Stiles threatened him as he moved to rinse his finger under the tap. Scott ignored the comment and hopped up to sit on the counter.

"Something's going on Stiles; I want to know,"

"He's just thinking about when I go away; probably wants me to practice my self defence a little more or something. No biggie." The blood had cleared from the cut and stopped dripping, but it still stung. Stiles knew Derek kept a medical box somewhere for human accidents but he didn't like to look for it.

"I should know what's going on,"

"I'm taking a break, that's what's going on. Look, Scotty," He patted Scott's shoulder, "if I need a plan, I'll think one up and call in the cavalry. You know where I'm going, my GPS on my phone is going to confirm that, and I'm going to text you whenever I remember so that you know I haven't been cut up and left in a ditch somewhere,"

"We're a team though," Scott said sullenly, "we're supposed to stick together; you and me,"

"Then we're going to have to raise a little hell when I come back huh bro?"

"You bet," He grinned, " hey do you need any help?"

"Hey, hey hey. Don't even think about it, no whoa, hey no. you go near that food and I'll consider cooking you instead," He knocked Scott's hand away from where it was heading towards the bowls of ingredients.

"dude I'm not that bad,"

"It'd start to burn at the **implication** that you were going anywhere near it,"

"That's cause he'd so hot," Isaac stood grinning in the doorway, "look can one of you come and beat Cora, I feel like if this goes on too long it'll be more than just bragging rights and Hale-headedness,"

"I heard that Lahey,"

"Think you were _supposed_ to!" Scott pulled Stiles into a half hug before jumping from the counter and heading back into the other room. Everyone in the pack was fairly certain Isaac was at the very least bisexual, but they never really talked about it and Scott didn't seem to mind to odd comments. Stiles had asked once though, to Scott, if he picked up any sadness from Isaac anymore. Scott hadn't sensed any since Isaac knew he was pack. It'd been a long time now; Isaac had a home, and family that was all mis-matched and oddballs, but they all cared. None of them wanted to lose him

He told his dad of course, who was pleased to know Stiles would be taking a week to himself. His Dad suggested multiple times that a few days away from Beacon Hill might let him switch off from this slump he'd gotten so deep into recently. Stiles suspected his dad was worried the Nemeton darkness was his kid getting depressed. It was a close thing really. The symptoms almost identical in places; but Stiles knew drugs and therapy would never really touch it.

Stiles wondered whether Sara would be able to 'see' the effects on him and resolved to keep his frame of mind focussed on the things he could learn from the woman. If something went awry he'd need all his faculties.

The pack talks about him leaving dissolved into argument more often than not. Stiles didn't want anyone else at risk; never mind the fact that he kind of believed his dad at the thought of the break away from Beacon Hills. It wasn't like he'd be gone for months; just a week. He'd told the pack the date he was going to leave three days after the one he planned to. And lying to the pack wasn't easy. As far as Stiles knew, they hadn't guessed his plan yet though. He was going to get his dad to drop him off.

He hated the idea of flying but keeping a pen in his hand helped. He imagined the clicking near drove everyone around him mad, but in between that and the random reminders he was writing on a tiny notebook to ask when he arrived, the woman in the seat next to him probably thought he was in some sort of cult. He re-read through his last in the cab to the café where he was meeting Sara. Or maybe they thought he was a writer of some sort planning his next book. Or a TV producer or… he traced a finger down the bullet points.

_-protective sigils_

_-supernatural genetic traits_

_-Fantasy or real – vampires, ghosts, kanima, (to check is she knew what she was talking about) warlocks, were-anything else, kitsune, demons, djinn, genie, unicorn_

_-Alpha true form_

_- Local hunters/packs_

_-mind manipulation_

_-zombies_

The list went over two pages of scribbles and crossing outs that only became more indistinguishable. The anxiety had given his hands such shakes and shivers on the plane that he was still twitching with cramps. He stretched them out and brought them back into fists.

As he paid the driver pointed him over to a small café on the corner; as he shouldered his bag and walked towards it he couldn't help but think it looked garishly cute-by-design. Plaid curtains were tied back to the sides of the windows while similarly coloured plastic table covers.

He pushed the door and even the bell sounded higher pitched than a normal café. His eyes landed on their muffin display case.

"Huh, this could be nice,"

"Hi there, can I help?" A girl about Stiles' age moved around the counter to serve him.

"Uh can I get some coffee and uh…" he eyes the muffins, "yeah, and a muffin please,"

"Which sort would you like?"

"Have you got hazelnut or blueberry?"

"Both actually. Hazelnut and white chocolate is best though,"

"That'd be great,"

"Pick a table I'll bring it right over," he nodded and put some money on the counter to cover the cost. He spied the tips jar sat on the display case. 'Saving for college. Help me get out of this place! X' on the label. He smiled and moved over towards one of the empty tables. Pulling his coat off and setting it down in the hopes of it drying out a little.

When his food and coffee arrived he relaxed into the seat and called Sara to let her know he'd arrived and she said she could meet him at that café in about an hour once she had closed up the shop. He didn't want to head out into the rain only to come back again but he did check with one of the waitresses how far he was from the place he was staying. The girl, Kelly, even drew him a map with a reassurance that if he got completely lost and all he could do was find his way back here, she'd gladly sell him another muffin. It seemed a good enough deal. The muffin was gorgeous and Kelly was an easy listener.

In the mean time, as Stiles waited, he called his dad to check in, reorganised his notes and questions and finally took a look at his text message inbox. Scott wasn't happy at being fobbed off. His excuse this morning was he was spending the day with his dad; obviously Scott had seen his dad around town somewhere minus Stiles. He'd only received texts from Scott, Allison and Derek though so Alison had been Scott's only current confidant. Derek however would have known, instinctually, that Stiles had been lying to them for weeks. Every time they'd hung out the work on the designs for the new house both of them had carefully avoided the subject of his going away. Derek's text had two words to it: be careful. Sometimes it surprised him how much he could read into something like that. He knew that the last time he'd seen Derek a couple of days ago Derek had grabbed his forearm as he was leaving and given him the 'look' interpretation of 'be careful'. In Stiles' language, a scared for you and I hope you know what you're doing because I really want to protect you but I know you're too, well, you for me to do that all the time. Or at least that what Stiles had seen in it; and from the way he felt the urge to explain himself to Derek, he's pretty sure Derek knew all along.

It was in his unawareness that he was approached by a woman who gently tapped him on the shoulder.

"Stiles? Stiles Stilinski?" she asked pleasantly. Startled, he looked up at her,

"Yeah, yeah, Hi. Sara right?"

"Yes. I'd say you've grown, but it would have been quite a surprise if you hadn't." She sat down opposite him and Kelly brought over a cup green tea and set it down in front of her. As they exchanged a few polite words stiles took in his first impression of the woman. She was probably late forties, wearing embroidered, well worn jeans and light jumper. A short bob of dark hair framed her face and she seemed…nice. Stiles tried to find traits of Jennifer or Kate in her, the opportunist, scheming, manipulative and couldn't find hints to any such thing. She was short and lean, though age had added tightness to her skin she was clearly a capable woman. The closest connection Stiles could find with the supernatural was a foreign symbol on her necklace: a twisting pattern of gold, silver and bronze.

Their chat drew to a close; Kelly smiled again at Stiles and left them to serve a couple who'd just entered.

"How was your trip Stiles?" She asked, sipping her coffee.

"Well no supernatural uglies showed up along the way so I think it went quite well,"

"I wouldn't have thought anyone would notice you from the next person. No offence, but you blend in well. I take it you have a journal of your own,"

"Uh, I have a notebook; a lot of what we've been working from has been old texts and we've just been scanning them into a computer and translating what we can,"

"One of the first things every skilled person should have is a journal; one personal to them to achieve their means. For me that often means pockets for sachets of herbs, clips, and leather bound and a spell locked catch," She brought out an old tatty notebook and laid it on the table between them. I have also taken to disguising my books to be less than their actually value," she ran her finger along the binding and a larger leather bound journal flickered into existence where the spiral bound

"So one of your great pockets of wisdom is to have your own spell book. Sorry I just expected, y'know, for it to mostly be up here," he tapped his forehead. "Prepared for anything you'd have the protective, defensive and offensive spells and bang done,"

"What I could teach you would take far longer than a week, and hopefully I might convince you I might meet you again, but for now I would be happy to discuss what you would like to learn from me." She waved him to start with the questions and Stiles dove straight in. He left out any personal details and but Sara did not appear to be holding back on explaining relevant details.

"There will always be discrepancies between what we read and what we experience. Supernatural species evolve over centuries just as any other would, if not more so since they already hold mutated genes which are the source of their differences and abilities,"

"So it's definitely a gene then,"

"To the best of my knowledge it's a gene that allows the shift of the DNA between different forms. The cerebral cortex of the brain is more directly linked to the release of a variation of adrenaline which triggers the transformation,"

"So what about the anchor is that just a psychological thing or does it trigger like an anti-transformation?"

"From what I've seen purely psychological, although given focus the individual gains enough control that they don't need the use of the safety blanket. That doesn't mean to say that if the anchor is threatened that the individual won't have an extremely adverse reaction. Attachment to humanity is key to the preservation of humanity, but the anchor tends to be merely an image," Stiles scribbled to keep up with both the information she was giving him and the new questions that kept flowing through his mind.

"Is all this personal observations or written and referenced kind of stuff?" he commented as he wrote off on a tangents about anchors and the senses they appease. Lydia would be proud.

"As much as I may have once been involved far more in the supernatural world, I was often far more self-interested and power-driven while I was. Now I have withdrawn I find just as many questions coming to me as you seem to,"

"You've withdrawn, and yet you still wanted to get in touch with me, you wanted access to the Nemeton's power," Stiles looked across the table at he and bristled against what may come a snappish response. It didn't and she spoke as calmly as before.

"The wave of energy emitted when that beacon was restored in part was felt as strongly for me as for my contacts in Boston. No doubt you've had many interested parties scouting you out, to find out who controls the territory it lies upon,"

Stiles nodded but stayed quiet, hand moving his phone out of his pocket before realising all the good it would do him with all his pack miles away. Instead his hand moved on his pocket knife as she continued.

"I was and am both interested in how it was done, and drawn to it for enhancing my own abilities. You have given me permission onto such territory by word from your Alpha, on the condition you return unharmed. Your health was never and will not be under threat from me, though I am surprised you did not eventually decide to bring a companion. I hope to use the power from the Nemeton to engage some spells I have not had the spark to perform myself for many years, I may show you at some point this coming week if you would like,"

"My alpha would like to know what you are planning to use the power of the Nemeton for, of course,"

"Of course," She nodded, sipping her coffee.

Their conversation continued for a couple of hours until it began to get dark and Stile's focus was jumpy at best. Sara offered to walk with him half way to his accommodation since she was heading in the same direction. She pointed out several restaurants and food places along the way and offered smidgens of information about several more businesses.

"I make my living in my shop by day. I have practical work stations and all of my texts in safe storage there. It's a good environment for learners and the occasional student interested in my crafts,"

"So we'll be working there?"

"Why don't I point it out to you on the way to where you'll be staying?" Of course in the dark he couldn't very well see much down the alleyway off the street she reassured him was where her shop was located. The light reflecting of the darkened windows would no doubt make them look entirely different by daylight but he thanked her for the directions and made his way to the bed and breakfast. The landlady had offered him a share of the stew she was cooking and he accepted gladly and in the hour or so it would be until it was ready he felt ready to collapse onto the bed at only six o'clock. He checked his room over for bugs and hex-bags as normal practice, running his fingers over the collection of motel like product in the bathroom, a personalised notebook on the bedside table he flipped through for any old messages of guests. Before dropping onto the mattress and pulling a cushion out from where it had been half tucked beneath the bed sheets. He hugged it tight to his chest with one arm and with his other hand he scrolled through his phone for recent contacts.

Stiles' thumb hovered above the call button on Derek's contact when his resolution, of taking a break from the pack, came back to mind. He switched off the contacts screen, sent a quick text to Scott and turned off his phone for the night. Being out of contact with Derek could be vital in him getting that decision space even if it currently made him feel immensely guilty. He instead took out his notebook and wrote yet more about all he'd learned. Sara was probably right about getting a journal for all of this, but with so much to learn, one book might not be enough. "Do you have to make each from scratch?" he wrote. Cutting the pages and binding alone would take time this week that he hadn't spare. He scowled to the pages of notes on the flimsy lined pad resting on his lap and thought about Deaton's ever vague assertions that belief in spells was the most key component. He believed these uncoordinated notes like this would last him this week as they always did in class. Sorting them out and filing them eventually would suffice, surely? But the association of journals with supernatural knowledge was so strong. The argents had kept their bestiary as a computer file. Which of course was good for uploading real life images and attaching them to the medieval sketches already in there; but a personal journal, his questions and answers would be far more valuable to him. Sara hadn't mentioned belief in her work, more a tendency to come across as an aged hippy. The supernatural could never be so innocent, but for mentioning the journal as something so important to her study had planted a seed in Stiles' head that he just couldn't shake loose. For the moment he had to take what he was being offered by means of information; and he was still apprehensive about what she was getting out of the arrangement.

Stiles arrived at the shop Sara had pointed out to day before at half-past nine exactly. 'Health and Healing," Ironic really that it was on a side alley street called 'Infirmary Walk'. Also ironic considering the possible background of this woman; if all the possible scenarios both he and the pack had discussed were true Stiles could be getting himself into areas in completely another dimension to health and healing. Stiles glanced through the front window although apprehensive, he didn't spot any ominous looking spider webs or jars of eyes following him and he stepped inside. Sure the place looked eccentric but it fit right into the suburban environment it'd hidden itself in. The crystals, gems and stones sat carefully in felt lined drawers and boxes. Dried herbs in neat packets tied with raffia and labelled with stylised penned tags.

"Uh, Hello? Anyone in?" He called out as he headed towards the doorway to the back room.

"Just a minute!" came the reply; not Sara's voice. Stiles tensed ready to grab something or run when Sara burst in the door behind him and before him, a plump woman came bustling round the counter a cup of tea in her hand. Stiles jumped back out of both of their ways and managed to knock a display. "Oh my… god. If you didn't know you two knew about the…" he waved his hands to the herbs and charms, "_you'd know_…"

"Oh sorry love," The shorter woman comforted, her hand steadying him by his arm.

"Do be careful Stiles," Sara began but the other woman cut her off.

"The poor boy was probably scared out of his wits with you charging in right behind him! Would you like something to drink dear?" She fussed over the display to his side, tidying up the scattered stones.

"I'm good, fine. Thanks," Stiles blurted, still tensed now there were two of them to assess.

"Stiles, this is Miriam." She gestured to her friend and Stiles nodded in greeting, "She's supposed to be on her day off but I called her in because I thought you'd like to get started on some of the projects you suggested yesterday," She ushered him forwards.

Sara led the way to the back of the shop; a small room that seemed as overcrowded as Stiles' head. There were two desks, presumably one for each woman in the shop. Sara pushed together several stacks of papers and moved them to a high up shelf; she then offered for Stiles to stash his bag and stuff in the space.

"Now I probably should warn you about the one other oddity of this place,"

"Only one," He said glancing round at the various bowls and cases stacked and stashed around in alcoves and boxes.

"Only one for now then I suppose. We have a resident Makuragaeshi,"

"A what, now?"

"Makuragaeshi, or at least that's the closest we've ever come to finding out what he is. Miriam is just as convinced he's a lazy poltergeist who sometimes follows us or customer's home," Stiles already had his phone out and had Google's idea of what a Makuragaeshi was.

"A spirit that'll move you pillow from your head to your feet while you sleep?"

"We call him Clive. He'll move things around on the desk perhaps, and he may follow you home if he finds you interesting. On the occasion we have someone come back in to mention something we think is related to him we give them a spirit calming crystal and send them on their way. He never usually stays away from this place for more than a couple of nights anyway,"

"So do the crystals and things work?"

"A variety of them have uses; for the teenage girl or average spiritualist probably not. Difference is if a practitioner comes in who knows what they're talking about, they'll ask us for exactly what they need instead of admiring the stock we have on display. We occasionally get commissions for certain herb compositions or objects but its real world trade that keeps this place's lights on," She led him into an adjoining room which Stiles had barely noticed before he was already inside.

"Oh my god," It was a small room wide but Stiles couldn't see the ceiling as the walls and shelves of books faded into dim light. "Is that real? Like really real or trick of the light or illusion or…"

"I tend to make copies of whatever comes through my possession. If you're looking for anything particular either Clive or I can help you find it,"

"Anything?" Stiles asked and Sara shrugged.

"Within reason. Clive won't touch certain books but sometimes all it takes is reasoning with him over why you want to look into a topic. I'll always try to help but even I can't remember everything that's up there,"

Sara had her own projects she was working on while she gave Stiles access to all of her archives. She happily answered all his questions and suggested some topics for him to look into on his own. He had an entire archive at his disposal and desperately wanted to tell Derek all about how exciting it was, because Derek would let him talk and repeat and gesture; and stiles knew he listened, because he asked specific, relevant questions. Questions he knew Stiles would want to explore. Challenging and daring questions that took Stiles by surprise and hooked him back into the topic he was researching.

They decided to sort him a journal on the first day he arrived, and then he could work on it as he added to it and design it around its purpose. By the time Stiles went to grab some lunch he'd cut, sewn and bound together a blue leather journal. It had clasp pockets in the back and front covers, and a black woven linen thread and silver clasp to tie it shut. Another piece of thread hung down as a page marker, a small silver disc tied to weigh it down. As they'd been talking he'd lined on in biro a picture which looked very similar to the roots system of the Nemeton, which Lydia had been obsessively drawing weeks ago. The absent minded design was fate as far as Sara was concerned and she told him how sparks and magic often permeates into our behaviour without our realising. He asked her whether they were people who could read such signs.

"The same people who are often best at tracing sigils from nature's protection."

"O-Kay and that would be?"

"Fairies, imps, elves, and the various deities of nature and forests. It's unlikely you'll ever meet them since they can't communicate with most humans. Similarly to ghosts only some people can see them, hear them etc. and then some people have a greater ability than others. Might I ask? There were rumours of a banshee in your territory; they often have a heightened awareness of fate and such things, though Banshees are often more of a curse than a valued addition to a pack,"

"We only recently found out about the abilities, we're not going to throw our friend out of town. She's the smartest girl I know,"

"Oh no doubt, banshees often have higher intelligence due to their intimacy with fate and the pull of nature's forces. It must be a hard pull on a girl your age to only connect to the supernatural when the worse consequences have been realised,"

"Hey, none of us have had the best introduction!" Stiles objected. "A whole town of bitten werewolves, an alpha pack, psycho hunters, 'animal attacks'" he punctuated with air quotes before continuing, "not to mention rogue omegas, emissaries and a kanima roaming the streets. The fact that none of us has completely lost it yet is a miracle,"

"A true alpha will always have to prove himself,"

"Remind me again how everyone knows about a true alpha in the mix?"

"Personally, I read you Stiles. But,"

"What!?" Stiles blurted out, "What the hell?"

"I still believed Derek Hale had his Alpha power and that your friend Scott remained an underdog. The shift in dynamic has had quite an effect on you hasn't it,"

"Woah, backtrack to where you said you read me,"

"It's a way of picking up intentions, you were thinking of Derek earlier today and since your thoughts are not yet protected I could shift through the surface layer of thoughts at least,"

"They what do I do to protect my thoughts?" he demanded.

She pulled her journal and felt tipped pen from her bag and opened the book to a page of symbols.

"For now simply draw the images," she tapped the line of marks labelled 'mind silence' followed by subsequent 'clarity',' white noise' and other marks that implied the locking away or distraction from someone following his thoughts, "onto your skin, I can show you later a long-lasting charm. Also we may be able to work on your reading thoughts for yourself, though it does take time,"

He took the marker from her apprehensively and copied the first couple onto the back of his hand.

"How do I know this works?"

"Do you know how to put your faith in ideas and thoughts Stiles?" She asked, twirling a pencil in her fingers for distraction

"I've had to do something similar in the past," he thought back to when Deaton said he must be the spark. To hold believe in the idea that the plan would succeed.

"then you must believe in this also, marks lines letters are just than until you associate meaning to them; like the wolf attaches meaning to the moon and it's pull," She explained. Stiles might have understood the theory more than when Deaton merely told him to 'believe in what he was doing.

"But werewolves do feel the pull of the full moon,"

"So you may believe,"

"So you're saying they don't really get impulsive reckless and less human during the full moon, it's just because they think they will,"

"Perhaps,"

"That doesn't sound right," Sara didn't reply but merely sipped her tea and Stiles tried to work out a more solid argument.

"What about vampires?" Stiles asked, tapping his pen on the table in front of him.

"I was wondering when you'd ask about that," He glanced up at her.

"And," he waved his hand for her to continued, irritated.

"Not all the big bad blood suckers in the dark you might expect,"

"Like not all werewolves are fangs claws and a flesh fetish then?"

"Precisely,"

"Know any personally?"

"You're looking at one," She smiled and her canines elongated. Stiles lurched backwards.

"Holy…Crap," He could feel his beating heart in his throat when she closed her mouth and laughed. Laughed! "That is so not the way to do your big reveal," He told her, hands clinging to the table's edge.

"And yet you haven't left," she seemed surprised.

"You haven't eaten me yet," He stayed leaning back against the back of the seat, away from Sara who smiled down into her cup. "Are you going to?"

"Not my cup of tea," she raised her cup in a mock toast, "I make my own brews, they have a way of staving off any hunger and I need only take a life's blood of someone once a year," She shut her eyes and Stiles thought he saw a hint of guilt.

"So are you a witch turned vampire or a vampire with spell experience?" He said, moving the topic away from death.

"I was a witch who got herself in too much trouble, got bit, killed my attacker and ran like hell," she shrugged. That was why I left Beacon Hills actually. Talia would never forgive me for provoking a vampire and killing it on her territory,"

"Did you ever contact the Hales again?"

"No, I just left. Severing my connection with the Hale pack shifted the blame directly onto me, and although Talia and I never heard from each other again I know she would have appreciated me not putting her in the position to take sides,"

"Well, did you know what happened? To the Hales," he asked tentatively, stilling his hands.

"I heard about the accident several months after the event,"

"And you didn't try to find out if there were any survivors?"

"I didn't think there would be,"

"And when you found out there was…" He prompted.

"It had been far too long a time that I would be remembered, let alone of any use to them. It seems I was right, by the look of you sat there before me,"

He looked at her open mouthed, processing whether what he'd just heard was an admission of guilt, praise, a manipulation or something else.

"How do you choose?"

"What dear?"

"The, uh… person you have to kill each year; how do you choose?"

"I told you about scanning people's thoughts," He nodded, "When the death of someone is close, their thoughts begin to fade. I can offer alternative options to their pain and take those who are near to death or give them the choice of death,"

"That's better?" Stiles asked incredulously.

"Essentially, no. When I first started I was something of a vigilante, scanning thoughts for the perverted, the criminal and the threats to others. But I have reconsidered the level of choice and reform people can have if they are given the motivation and potential to change,"

When Miriam had to leave Sara took over watching the shop so Stiles stood by the counter with her and read there instead. Some of the customers were quite willing to chat with him; and it wasn't the crazy teenage girls after gemstones and herbs that looked or smelled pretty. Stiles probably should have been more prepared but when a woman in her late thirties was paying for her stone and perfectly calmly asked him which pack he was associated with he startled.

"Uh, Beacon Hills pack,"

"Never um or err when associating with your pack, boy. It's always something to be proud of," He bristled and stood up straighter.

"Sorry, wasn't expecting the question." He told her, "Usually there some sort of introduction before someone questions me," the woman in front of him didn't look impressed. "Or maybe not," He shrugged attempting to be dismissive. She held out a hand.

"Natalie Ruth, Kilgauren Pack." He shook her hand and held her gaze.

"Stiles Stilinski," He asserted, and nodded once, "And I am proud of my pack, we've been through quite a lot,"

"Oh I know," She said turning and leaving with a smile which stiles didn't completely trust. The bell above the door stilled and Stiles shook himself from staring at where she'd been.

"Where's the Kilgauren Pack from?" He asked Sara who was jotting down a stock order in the back room.

"Syracuse," she replied.

"And they came all the way to you for a stone?"

"It was quite a stone,"

"So do packs often need magic then?"

"Circumstances dictate that if you want a certain outcome, you'll have to manipulate nature a little bit,"

"What was the stone for?"

"I'm not sure,"

"What?"

"It could be used for any number of purposes stiles, as most magic can." Stiles huffed and went back into the other room, wondering if she and Deaton had ever had a conversation and whether they were even vaguely productive.

"Would you like to work on covering up your thoughts later Stiles?" She called after him. Stiles was sure she then heard a stream of expletives, expressive enough to drive her away from listening to anything more; she laughed.

Later that afternoon Sara took a phone call that she looked around the doorway and asked, "Stiles could you watch the shop while I pop out for a minute? If anyone asks for me specifically tell them I'll be back in twenty,"

"Sure," he agreed, glancing up at the clock with read three thirty, "something wrong?" she rolled her eyes and grabbed her journal from the cabinet,

"It's the wrong time of month for werewolf impulses I'm afraid. Or friends of the Kilgauren Pack got a tad impatient with the magic and caused a bit of damage to each other. They just want me to check everyone over before they head home in a flying metal box," Stiles nodded and followed her into the main shop and move his book back to the counter.

"You know how everything works right? I know you've been keeping notes on me too," He nodded again glancing over at the till rather than look at her.

"Thank you," she called and disappeared through the door and away.

Stiles wandered around the small shop taking in all the small boxes of trinkets and reminding himself of the properties of some of the herbs he'd ready about as he was passing them handing in garlands and bunches. An idea struck him and he headed for the back room and archives.

"Clive? You here?" A book from the desk was carelessly pushed onto the floor where its pages fell haphazardly, "Wow, gee thanks," He bent to gather the pieces. Just as most of them were together another book fell. "And again, freaking delightful. Hey could you actually help me out though?" Stiles waited a moment but nothing else appeared to move. "Talking to thin air again then," He grumbled "You know how werewolves have the ability to take pain away from others; is there anything like that for humans, preferably something I could figure out? Cause like I can do the herbs and chemistry side of things, if you could…" He flinched away from it but it missed him, fell to the desk and the pages began flicking through themselves.

"Uh, thanks." He repeated, watching as the pages stilled and what looked like a recipe was shown. He read through the introduction. "So it's for transferring pain. Werewolves can only take so much pain before it affects their healing so a human couldn't handle it right?" a candle dropped to the floor from the shelf and broke in half. Stiles ignored it. "Couldn't you learn to use a pen and paper dude, really?" the room was still, apparently not. Stiles continued to read the passage when the shop bell rang out. He decided to leave the book where it was while he checked on whoever had just come in.

"Hi there," He called out as he walked through and came face to face with a man at the counter in a dark suit and tie.

"Is Sara Bartlett here today?" He

"She'll be back in a little while, had a call and had to run, sorry," Stiles explained. The man did not look impressed. "You can wait here or…" Stiles paused when the man's eyes flashed blue and a sick smirk pulled at his lips.

"Then you're on your own Stiles?"

"Funny you should say that," He stepped backwards and then again almost tripping over his feet as he scrambled into the back room and the man easy jumped the counter. He stopped in the doorway with a hiss and pulled back.

"Do I scare you Stiles; do I scare you enough to send your pack running? They won't usurp me, you know,"

"They're not here; I came to visit a friend. I don't know you or whatever pack you're with. And to be honest the bright eyes effects probably wouldn't scare me if they weren't a package deal with the claws, teeth and bad attitude," He didn't know what was stopping this guy from getting any closer but he was sure as hell glad of it.

"So you are alone. Interesting choice for a pack so young and weak," The guy's eyes narrowed and glinted red again. "Perhaps you need only give you pack a message that they won't last long,"

"He's not alone." The guy's head snapped round to stare at the new challenger Stiles couldn't see from where he was. "And he's welcome here. You're not; leave." The werewolf gasped for breath, hunched over in pain and clutching at his throat.

"You can't do that," He cried, "I'm…"

"Leaving." The stranger filled in for him and as if possessed but for the fear in his eyes the alpha straightened and walked from behind the counter and out of the shop. Stiles crept forwards to watch him go, but there was no one else in the shop. Stiles caught his breath as he glanced around. When he was certain he couldn't see anything his eyes went to the doorway from the shop to the backroom. Three black lines fed through the centre of the wood. "Huh,"

"Have some tea Stiles, it'll help," Sara told him when she came back to find him scribbling down manically about various protective measures. She told Stiles that she didn't know who the stranger may have been, ordering the alpha werewolf from her shop. However as she glanced across to the empty corner of the room as he was describing the deep authoritative voice, Stiles had doubts.

From how he's described the werewolf to her she guessed it was a member of the pack she had gone to help. Not all of them were present and the alpha's left hand, she suspected had taken it upon himself to intimidate and threaten the best he could. Sara told him the packs are fickle in their allegiances, but he may have made a temporary alliance by not having been bested; or he may have started a feud to last the ages. Werewolves are temperamental at best; especially when they come from large cities they become more easily aggravated and offensive easily. Stiles groaned at explaining the idea to Scott that he may have just gained a new enemy. Peter hale would be proud.

"Peter Hale used to be much the same," Sara added.

"He still is," He ran a hand over his hair and shook the thoughts from his head.

"What's in the doorway?" he asked, "The three lines in the frame,"

"Well, one of them is mountain ash, another a mix of lady's slipper and liverwort, further protection, limits the effects of spells on the person, and the third is a Loosetrife paste. Its main properties are peace and protection. That particular one allows only those with peaceful intentions to pass through. I like to know my customers and guests do not mean me harm, surprisingly," She shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"Could you tell me how to make them?"

"I'll write it down for you tonight, if you'd like to test them later this week, we can," She reached for a book above her desk and left pieces of papers in the relevant pages, to remind herself for later.

"Even if we can assume the alpha does not return, if we work on your, "she tapped her forehead," you may be able to, in time, learn how to pick up intentions,"

"So not something I can pick up in a "he snapped his fingers.

"Sadly not, unless you'd like me to turn your tastes to blood. Vampires can read their potential meals better than most supernatural creature, let alone humans,"

"Uh, no. I'm good thanks,"

"I thought so," she hummed, "I'll fetch the herbs we can use, I'll just be a minute," She stood and exited to the shop.

"So lavender does pretty much everything but mildly, Mountain ash is not the only way to werewolf proof an area, and as always, belief in what you're working with is key," He listed off from his notes, only looking up when she handed him a woven loop of sticks she had been weaving together as she explained his own task; the selection and collection composition of protective poultices.

"And this is…" he drawled; it had been at least two hours since he'd understood what he was doing. Working instead off the appraising or prompting uh-hums and ahs from his companion

"Eyebright, willow and thistle; protection, healing, and strengthening of mental capabilities," He slipped it over his wrist and beneath the arm of his shirt.

"Got anything as a caffeine substitute?"

"Perhaps to finish for the day?" she suggested as she held out another band. "This is for your friend,"

"You say that like I've only got the one," He said as he took the second band and turned it over in his hand.

"The one you think needs you the most," she told him.

"Cryptic, as ever. Thanks," he folded up his notes, put the second band in the back pocket of his journal tied it shut, slipping it into his bag as he stood. "Is it the same?" he asked.

"Addition Alyssum; it moderates anger, and additionally anxiety. When you know more about the way these work together you can make your own to suit your needs best. For now I thought these might be useful," she gestured to where his own bracelet was just showing under his sleeve. "They can have all sorts of uses, different combinations act in the same way genetics merge, dominant and recessive qualities react differently to different species, sometimes every the background of the same species,"

"I think you're giving me way too much to work with," Stiles admitted.

"Then just take some light reading with you, and I'll see you tomorrow at, say, ten," She handed him a thin book that when Stiles flipped through it was blank,

"Light reading?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"Tips for beginners, minor psychic connection to the holder of the book. This specific one is on herbs and their properties. If you have a problem just open the book with your question held firmly in the front of your mind. Make it tangible. Reflexive,"

"You want me to practice believing," He summarised.

"You have a slight tendency to be distracted. As focussed as you can become on a topic as a whole, following so many tracks can lead to little ends. You get a gut feeling, you follow it. That's what's in your genetics. Your mother's genetics," She emphasised. Stiles shivered, frozen to the spot.

"Was she involved?"

"She would help anyone if she could; kind hearted to a fault,"

"Will you…" he cleared his throat, "will you tell me about her?" Stiles said, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves.

"Of course. Tomorrow though Stiles, you've worked hard enough today," He nodded, said goodbye quickly and fled the shop. He didn't stop moving until he was back in his room at the bed and breakfast, door locked and his bag fell from his shaking grip. A dead coldness consumed his body and mind like a thick fog that kidnapped every last breath from his lungs.

His knees gave way and he sank to the floor. Breath Stiles, you've got to breathe. His head was swimming though. Knowing all of this could have saved his mother, something could have done. Surely something could've helped. But nothing had. And now he really was alone. Alone, but he could fix things. He could. He could… breathe, yes breathe.

He saw his phone lying next to him where it had fallen from his pocket. His first call was to his dad. He never wanted to worry his dad but hearing him talk, about his day, the weird calls and the more serious; it was real, he could focus on that.

"Are you okay now Stiles?" His dad knew what was happening from the moment he'd answered the phone and Stiles hadn't said anything but "Hi Dad,"

"Yeah. I'm, I'm good Dad, yeah. Had a long day, I helped out in her shop; its one of these spiritual healing, crystals and stuff places. It's actually pretty cool,"

"Sounds good, glad you're having fun." He paused, "Derek came round earlier, asked about you. You didn't tell them you were leaving?"

"He said that?"

"Not exactly,"

"I told them I was leaving; might have told them a couple of days from now but they knew I was taking some days out,"

"Is everything okay Stiles? These are your friends," His dad sounded worried, it was never pretty or easy to deal with when Stiles disconnected like that. First his mother, then the darkness, he was good now. But obviously his dad worried him, and of course it was never one sided.

"Its just a few days, they'll survive without me," He said with conviction. "Will you?"

"How old do you think I am, son?"

"Old enough to know better than to eat fast food when you've been told, by a doctor, it's seriously affecting you," He argued back, glad of the easy banter.

"Was seriously affecting me. I'm fine and you know it," Stiles huffed at the assumption.

"Whatever dad,"

"Just keep up the attitude kiddo, and me and you will be just fine," Stiles grinned and wiped the remaining tears from his face.

"Love you to dad,"

"Love you Stiles, you keep in touch, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Bye Dad," He held the phone close to his chest like a crux for several minutes.

The evening improved from then on in; by means of pizza, free high-speed wi-fi and research. Research was good, thorough and methodical; calming. Even with the background noise of the kitchens and restaurant. He'd picked a table right at the back of the pizza place, small table but all the room he needed to focus on taking in all the connections. Connections were good too.

The kitchens closed at ten that night, restaurant closed at eleven. Stiles barely noticed the activity going on around him until one of the servers came over and asked him if he wanted a cab to be rung. He declined, apologised and returned to his accommodation. He supposed he was lucky the landlord was still up; climbing in the window on the first floor with a laptop and rucksack was never going to be easy. Then again it wouldn't be impossible.

After a long hot shower he spread his notes out across the floor and bed and imagined Scott sat in the corner of the room to bounce ideas off. Isaac had tried joining them a couple of times but he was more suited to the application instead of planning schemes; the same with Cora, Boyd and Erica. They were far to willing to be led into trouble; to prove themselves; their loyalty drove them to fault, to hurt themselves. They never regretted that though, they'd never turn away. You couldn't help but love them; they brought the world to life with impulsivity.

But right now, Stiles was staring at a blank wall, and there was a week's worth of work to do. He smiled to himself and began designing his own wrist tie; he didn't like the idea of something his 'mentor', as he was currently calling her, could be tracking. He'd thought about sourcing the ingredients from another store that Sara's but it didn't seem like a problem in reality. He opened the book and stared at the blank pages.

"Okay, what do I need?" He asked it. Predictably it remained blank. Stiles leafed through several pages to confirm the suspicion. "Nothing," He muttered. "Okay then," he sighed and shut the book temporarily, pulling across his notebook to rest next to him as he scribbled down notes. The page he titled 'things to ask about herbs,' and the list of 'book' questions and 'mentor' questions followed:

_Herbs for pain transference_

_Wrist bands herbs for protection, healing, discretion, and control_

_Mind focussing drugs substitute for Adderall_

_Truth provoking/revealing herbs _

_Protection herbs for a werewolf residence._

The book was remarkable helpful. From his fairly wide reaching questions it would then let him specify from those results the best for each purpose just like his laptop might. He kind of wished he could plug it in to his laptop and use it directly. When his eyes started to fall he had plans for wrist protection for Derek, Allison, Lydia, Danny, Scott and himself. All designed to work with the various genetics of human, beta and alpha wolf, and banshee. He'd resolved to look further into the best protection for the rebuild of the Hale house after discussing with Derek and his family. They'd know better which herbs and effects they could live with; scents such as lavender were far too strong for complete coverage of an area. Even Stiles' Nana's house was overpowering to enter when she'd been spring cleaning. She spotted lavender oil on near every cushion and surface. 'Calming' Nana unconvincingly called it. Stiles considered it more suffocating.

It was when he was designing Erica's wristband that he passed out. And as far as he could tell when he scrambled awake with his alarm at nine the morning, his last work included, amongst other points, how to make it appear stylist enough that Erica would consent to wear it. Anklets and necklace charms had big question marks next to them embossed into the paper over and over as he'd drifted to sleep they looked ridiculous. He stuffed the additional noted into his back, changed his shirt and grabbed breakfast on his way to the shop. He was walking in just as another customer arrived from the opposite direction. He held the door for the girl who smiled shyly and thanked him. He didn't register it was the same girl from the café until she was stood by the counter chatting with Miriam.

"Stiles, this is my daughter, Kelly. She works at the café a few streets over," He greeted her as he placed his bag on the floor.

"Hi Stiles,"

"You recommended the hazelnut and white chocolate muffin, right?" He asked to make conversation. With his dad in the police, as a kid, Stiles had taken it upon himself to remember faces of strangers in case something should happen. He used to boast the skill when he, his mum and dad went of summer holidays. Remembering maids, shop keepers, performers; Adults always seemed so endeared by a young child remembering who they were. Free tickets came his family's way quite often that way. Positive reinforcement maintained the habit into his own adulthood, though he didn't get as much free stuff as he used to.

Kelly was obviously pleased though, smiling as she answered, "Yeah, I was,"

"It was a good call," He glanced to judge her mother's reaction.

"Are you here for long Stiles?" She asked, readjusting her bag on her shoulder.

"Just a week for now, but I'm learning," Her gestured around, "All this stuff actually,"

"You'll never learn it all in a week," She shook her head slightly.

"You sound like you know,"

"I'm still learning, and I have been since I was little. Momma won't let me learn everything 'til I move out though," She shrugged and Stiles thought about whether his dad would actually agree with half the stuff they'd researched back home.

"Never underestimate some good snooping and research of your own,"

"Hey," Miriam yelled, "don't you go corrupting my little girl," She was smiling so Stiles didn't thin he was in too much trouble.

"As a sheriff's son you learn all the tricks,"

"You say that like its reassuring," She said walking past Stiles and towards the door. "I'll see you later momma, don't be mean to the poor boy, he doesn't look like he can defend himself too good,"

"Hey, I object to that!" Stiles countered.

"Bye Stiles see you around," Stiles grinned at Miriam who raised a knowing brow.

"You won't get anywhere with that girl,"

"I don't plan to," Stiles admitted. He wasn't like that on principle, but he was kind of tied to back home regardless.

"Cle-veer boy," she coo-ed sarcastically.

"Is Sara in?"

"She's not one for time keeping, why do you think I work the morning shifts?"

"A truly altruistic move on your part then," He followed her into the back room where she started concocting another brew.

"Now this is what I'm good for. You've been up into the early hours because you want to cram this week full and crash through your school work when you go home," as all mothers practice a disapproving look, Miriam turned hers on Stiles. "It never works out for the best if you burn out," she handed him a steaming cup.

"This'll help?"

"This'll help," she told him reassuringly and he drank it back heartily.

"So there are two things I want to learn today," Stiles told Miriam as he drank his tea, "How to transfer pain from someone despite being human, and how to stop Sara reading my thoughts,"

"Aren't you worried about me reading your thoughts?" she leant forwards conspiringly. He leant forwards copying her and both grinned like children.

"Can you read my thoughts?" he asked.

"I don't particularly care for spying on other people, the phrase, 'a peeping tom will see things he'd rather forget', is something I hold quite dear," She leant back breaking the act. "But until Sara gets her ass here I can help you look into pain transfer," She pulled over a chair to where Stiles sat at the desk he had all but claimed.

"Do you know how werewolf pain transfer works?"

"Not… entirely," He admitted.

"I take it you'll have studied nerves in the body at some point," She started, he nodded and remembered the class assignment to make a three dimensional model of a cell. Its wasn't the most successful of projects he'd ever undertaken with Scott.

"Werewolves, as well as some other creatures, have extra-sensory nerves. Not in the kind which is referred to with telepathy or clairvoyance, but to enhance their basic senses. Increased sense of touch and smell can mean that they can identify when someone is in pain and connect with that pain. The picking up of emotions is linked to that but," She waved her hand vaguely, "Another time."

"So how can I take pain?"

"You couldn't just take pain stiles,"

"Hey, I…"

"Werewolves can take another's pain up to a certain threshold before their body starts to suffer the consequences. Their body can heal pain in their own body, mute the response to it. That's not saying they don't feel pain as you or I do, perhaps they feel it more strongly because of their heightened senses, but they can heal the pain faster. You couldn't heal the pain in your own body, unless perhaps you were taking minor pain from a child or small animal. You could however give the pain to something else,"

"I'd have to give something else extreme pain, if I wanted to help my friends?"

"There are always two sides to a coin Stiles. But you needed choose another person to give the pain to. The pain could be given to a spider or stray animal; another werewolf or someone who is in a better position to deal with pain that the person who is inflicted with the injury,"

"Could it not be transferred into some, like an inanimate object or something?"

"Objects don't have nerves and pain receptors. That is the main criteria I'm afraid," She shook her head sympathetically.

"I could show you how to practice now if you'd like, or leave it a few days until you feel more comfortable with the concept,"

"No, I know okay. But I need to know how to help my friends so this is going to be a thing right? The pain transfer, whatever." He took a deep breath and looked around the room, "You must have a spider in here somewhere,"

Stiles held the small garden spider in his hand as Miriam fetched a matchbox to house him temporarily.

"I think we should work on you identifying pain first, before we work on you taking it or moving it from host to host,"

"Uh okay," He dropped the spider into the box, and imagined it was going to determinedly find a way out of there before it was experimented on. He held the box in his lap as she explained how he had to reach out with his mind.

"Admittedly this may have been easier if you had Sara's lessons first, but you'll pick up mind tricks in a snap if you can get the hang of this. She asked him which hand he would be using drew three marks; Two on the back of the hand and a third in the palm. Stiles snapped several pictures of them on his phone for future reference and quietly thanked technology.

He moved the matchbox to the side as Miriam pulled out a small craft knife and slit the top of her finger. Stiles yelped at the ease of her action, but Miriam ignored him and held out her other hand.

"You need to be able to find the pain without what we call drifting. Supernatural creatures can't affect mental and emotional pain as a spell casting transfer can. You can only take physical pain effects Stiles. Now, shut out all distractions and focus on my voice as I guide you to finding the pain. Shutting out distractions wasn't the easiest thing to do in practice but the shop was relatively quite of a morning and Miriam continued to open up the cut when the pain dulled and Stiles refused to give up attempting to reach out to find it.

Finally he'd caught it; the throbbing of the cut on the finger and the nerves around it sparking each other in a convoy of alerts back through the body.

"Oh my God that's weird," He muttered.

"Concentrate on the nerves stiles, tell them to be calm," He tried that and felt a spark as if the pain were lashing out at him.

"Ow!" He cried. His focus broke and he stared irritated at the hand he'd pulled away with in surprise. It felt like it was buzzing. Miriam had a knowing smile.

"You knew they were going to do that,"

"Nerves in the human body tend to react when threatened. With animal pain not so much the nerves but the animal will react to the pain, you might get a few bites and bruises if you don't have them calm and secured,"

"But you knew that I was going to get …" he searched for the words to describe the feeling in his hand, "nerve bitten," he stretched and flexed his muscles in an attempt to relieve and diffuse the odd feeling currently taking over and impairing any normal function.

"I felt a similar thing actually. When you transfer the pain to something else it's like completing a circuit,"

"That doesn't really make sense but hey, I could try."

"Give yourself a moment's break first, the process is a difficult and draining one for beginners," Stiles sighed and leaned back on his chair, eyeing the matchbox on the table.

"Will animals have a limited pain threshold?"

"They will, which is why I'm cutting my finger, not chopping off my arm," Stiles shivered at the thought.

"But if you can use herbs and spells to protect people, won't they work on animals too. Could you increase their health at the same time as giving them the pain?" He proposed.

"I suppose it's possible. Most times when you're transferring pain I'd imagine you don't have the time to protect the creature you're transferring the pain to. Although I suppose it would reduce the chance of a backlash of pain to you if the creature didn't die in the middle of your spell, of course."

"So it's possible something could help?"

"We'll finish this and I'll look into it," Meanwhile Stiles' mind raced along all the things he and Lydia had researched and learn from their own archives. The sigils came to mind especially, but of course they hadn't tested much yet.

Stiles did have trouble concentrating after that, partly the apprehension of getting bitten again, partly tired from his few hours sleep, and partly… his head hurt. By the time Sara came bombing into the shop an hour and a half late with coffee for them all, he'd temporarily given up and was chatting with Miriam by the counter about the stones they'd just sold to a customer.

"Stiles, Hello. I am sorry I'm late I… you know what I don't actually know where the time went from when my alarm went off to when I got here," She handed him a coffee and placed the other two on the counter, "Have I missed anything important and exciting," She asked animatedly.

"We started working a little on finding pain," Miriam told her,

"And caught a spider to practice on," Stiles added.

"Clive isn't too happy about it though,"

"What? Why?" Stiles asked, confused, "How do you know he's annoyed?"

"He left a little something out here for me," she held up a thick file labelled 'when and how to teach the basics: spell casting for the,' and then a word was heavily crossed and blotted out. "Practices in magic should, usually, be worked on in a certain order. Levels of skill until you are accomplished enough to work on your own,"

"We haven't done that with you because it probably wouldn't benefit you to work solidly on a single set of basic spells for locking a window and binding someone still for five seconds,"

"Hey, I could do with knowing that stuff too you know!" Stiles protested. Clive, in all likelihood, was a great deal smarter than they were. He could watch people. Stiles' dad always said the people who watched could learn the secrets of everything; and it wasn't like Clive could do much else.

"I'm sure you do, but you can learn that on your own, you don't need guidance for the spells that children learn in playrooms," Miriam told him.

"The stronger spells we would like to teach you rely on a higher level of thinking. Once you can think in a way that the spell thought process falls into place easily and automatically, then basic spells come as almost second nature," Sara added

"So I've been thrown I at the deep end," He rolled his eyes but was secretly pleased they supposedly weren't holding him back.

"In a way, yes. But you are smart Stiles, you only need prompting in a certain direction with the topics you've been introduced to so far, you don't need us to hold your hand," Sara explained. Miriam nodded in agreement. "Your aptitude for research also means we can wait for you to come to us with questions,"

"Uh, thanks."

"So Clive," Sara addressed the room, "Keep your opinions to yourself!"

When Miriam had left and Sara was out in the shop Stiles apologised to Clive on their behalf, and asked him if he knew any of the answers to the list of questions open in his notebook. Half an hour later a stack of six heavy backed booked dropped onto the corner of the desk which required Stiles scramble to steady them before they fell.

"Thanks Clive,"

He hadn't gotten around to opening the stack of books when Sara came in to check on his progress and gasped. Snatching the books up form the table and began shouting at thin air.

"Clive you stop this immediately or I will get the incense and clear you right out of here!" Stiles eyed her warily as she stormed into the archive closet. He was sure he could feel a static rise in the air and took some deep breaths to calm himself in preparation for anything to happen. When she returned the books had gone but she still looked furious.

"Did you ask him for those books Stiles?"

"I asked him if he knew anything that could help with these ideas," He held up the notebook that was snatched from his hands immediately.

"Those books he gave you included some very dark magic Stiles. Clive is attempting... no succeeding in provoking me since he disagrees with my methods. I'd appreciate if you ask me for any help until he's decidedly more rational," She still had anger in her eyes but her demeanour had calmed. Stiles gave it a few minutes after she'd returned to the counter before he packed his things away and told her he was heading out for lunch.

He stopped by at the café to say hello to Kelly and they chatted, not so discretely, about the supernatural as she went back and forth from tables. She was like Isaac in a lot of ways. she smiled like Isaac, curly hair that bounced as she laughed at small jokes she had with herself. The sharpest of wit came out when he explained something in simple terms when he was getting vague or forgetting her lifelong experience. She was excited by the stories of his pack, oohing and ahhing in all the right places like a pantomime and she shared her own growing up experiences which sounded a lot like his and Scott's escapades. When he next looked at the clock an hour had passed and he paid, said goodbye and headed back towards to shop.

When Stile returned Sara was in a much calmer mood. Clive had apparently gone quiet, with the possibility of leaving for a couple of days. Stiles felt deep down, safer, when he knew Clive was watching his back. He considered that this might be because Clive was a bit of an asshole. Stiles got on quite well with people like that; or at least he could meet and raise the level of asshole attitude in the room by the minute. Plus, Clive was the name of one of the Pac-man ghosts and it made Stiles inwardly smile.

Sara took her lunch break and Stiles was left alone in the shop and in the meant time he practiced some focussing routines Miriam had given him. They didn't last too long as a group of teenage girls and one, obviously coerced guy came into the shop and started shifting through the 'healing crystals'. Stiles had to turn away when the guy started to ridicule their idealism. However, when it came to pay, he happily offered up fifteen dollars to cover his girlfriend's products. Stiles typed in the price and colour coded labels that matched the keys on the cashier. And it spit out a receipt and cash drawer with a dangerous snap that almost caught Stiles in the stomach. Some of the girls began to giggle at his verbal response to its impact. The guy was obviously trying to act cool and turned away save showing any reaction like the rest of them.

He passed the change back and bagged the stones,

"Thanks,"

On the group's way out one of the girls managed to knock a display cabinet, and they left without hesitating to apologise let alone clean up to herbs that had fallen from their bags on the shelves and were now scattered across the floor.

"Thank you So much! You are a credit to humanity you really are," Stiles called after them, fishing out the dustpan and brush from the cluttered mess beneath the counter. He swept up the dust and leaves to throw away an a few minutes and chucked them in the trash can inside the back room doorway. He checked out the floor for any other scraps that had fallen. Nothing obvious. He retreated back towards the desk and his notes. He'd been stood there no more than a couple of minutes when a small corked blue bottle knocked Stiles' foot. He picked it up and rolled it in his hands. The cork was loose and a repulsively pungent smell was caught in the air as Stiles brought it up close to decipher the label. It wasn't written in English, nor anything Stiles recognised. He cringed, took a photo of the label and sent it to Lydia. Even if she was still annoyed with him she'd be interested to know what he was up to. He set the bottle on the shelf behind the counter. He turned his back on it and in seconds heard a shattering of glass.

"Damn it Clive!" He turned on the spot and looked down and the liquid spreading across the floor. "Okay it might have been me, but seriously!" He carefully stepped over the growing puddle to fetch a wad of paper towels. The smell did not improve with time and dropping onto his knees only brought him closer to the offending smell.

Eventually the floor was dry and the bin was full so he took it out to the dumpster at the back. The smell had gone to his head and he didn't realise there was someone in the shop until he'd dropped the waste paper bin back into place and looked up. He froze.

Peter Hale stood on the other side of the counter. Peter Hale with bright red eyes, Stiles froze, holding his gaze. He felt the tension in his hands reaching for something to defend himself with. Peter stood there, just watching. Stiles stepped back slowly past the door way. It was then that Peter Hale stepped forwards; through the counter. By the time Stiles backed up further and blinked disbelievingly He was being followed into the back room. He grabbed for the dagger on the higher shelf above the desk shelves but couldn't get a grip on it before Peter Hale was even closer. There was hair spreading across his face and neck, claws tearing there way out of their cuticles and sharpened fangs could only make his features more threatening. Stiles backed into a corner. He was trapped. If he could just… he couldn't. There was nothing. He was watching for Peter Hale to make his next move: to grab him, slit his throat, or worse. Fear was taking over and his was stuck in his thoughts again. It wasn't a panic attack though. Now he was calm. Peter Hale was the one person who just kept coming back. He shut his eyes and curled in on himself and waited; waited for the pain to start.

A gentle hand cupped the back of his head instead. "Stiles," But that was Derek's voice. Why couldn't he open his eyes? "Stiles can you hear me?"

"Derek?" his voice sounded so small.

"Stiles, I'm here and you're going to be safe. You're going to come back to me right,"

"Derek. Why…why're you here?"

"Couldn't let you have all the fun," he laughed; Derek's laugh; the one just for Stiles.

"You sound like Allison,"

" 'M not Allison," The hand on his neck pulled him forwards until his forehead was resting on another.

"Derek, where's Peter?"

"In your head, Clive was testing you; trying to scare you off. The bottle was from the back storage cabinets. It's a hallucinogenic,"

"So it's not real?"

"No,"

"You're not real,"

"I am if you need me,"

"Derek," He whispered he was crying, he could feel the tears on his cheeks.

"Why don't you just sleep it off Stiles?"

"Stay," he was already losing conscious thought.

"Of course,"

Lavender was the first smell, overpowering, sickening. His head hurt and their was a bitter and sour tint of taste in his mouth. He gasped for a breath looking around the familiar room before falling back onto the folded up clothes. The ceiling was a blank canvas he could use to think back. Thinking hurt though and he groaned, throwing an arm across his eyes.

"Stiles?" for a minute he expects to see Derek stood in the doorway, but its not. Sara is rushing to his side clearly distress.

"What the hell," He groaned again.

"uh, not quite hell. Can you tell me what happened?" She knelt at his side.

"I was, uh, tidying up some spilled herbs. And there was a bottle of something, it was on the floor, I moved it to one of the shelves behind the counter but it fell when I turned back around. I cleaned up the spill and then I think I was fairly out of it," He glanced warily to where

"What did the bottle look like?"

"Uh small. Blue glass. Clear liquid. Now that really smelt like hell,"

"Can you look me in the eye Stiles?" He looked at her and found he couldn't really focus. "Okay, close your eyes and listen to me instead," He did as he was told.

"you're worried," He didn't know why he said that, but he could… feel it.

"Yes, yes I am. Do you know why?"

"Clive got me to inhale a hallucinogenic,"

"Did he tell you that?"

"No, uh, Derek did," Derek was here though wasn't he. He heard him. He felt the same safety as when he was with Derek.

"Derek?" Okay, it might not have been Derek then.

"I might have been hallucinating by then," Stiles admitted, ignoring the drumming in his temples.

"I'm going to take my hands away now Stiles and I want you to think about where I am in the room," Stiles thought about the room, the things in it, where he lay, and in turn, filled in the gaps where Sara knelt beside him. She radiated worry and anxiety but then it was as if he were tracing a thread; tracing them back to the reasoning behind the thoughts. The bottle was a mind enhancing steroid. It wasn't the smell he inhaled but what diffused into his skin from where he cleaned it up.

She was angry too; angry at Clive for finding out the bottle and putting it in Stiles' way. The smell of lavender was a cleansing mix to get rid of the poltergeist, along with any traces of the poison. But there was an understanding beneath all of the anger; reasoning yet again behind the Makuragaeshi's actions. Stiles would have the required mind ability to work all the spells he'd been looking into. That was actually kind of exciting…if it didn't have any long lasting effects. He looked further but was cut off abruptly.

"What can you feel Stiles?"

"I think I know what happened. But from your perspective. You know Clive had reasons, to help me with my," he tapped his forehead and gestured to hers. But there's a problem with that isn't there. You don't want tell me though,"

"That sounds about right,"

"Tell me anyway,"

"I don't think that's…" She hesitated.

"Tell me," Stiles insisted and levelled her stare.

"The substance you came into contact with is highly addictive. Especially for people like yourself who crave information; its experience enhancing. It could give you trips like no natural drug you can imagine,"

"You think I'm going to get addicted to that stuff?" That wasn't going to happen. His head was currently stuck on a loop of hell no! "I'm not going near that stuff if you paid me,"

"Did you see something Stiles?" She asked, anxiety returning.

"I saw some of my pack. Well, someone I trusted, someone I didn't,"

"Do you want to call them? Would that help?"

"I'm okay, I know it wasn't real," his reassurance didn't seem to convince her.

"But it shook you up,"

"Obviously, but I'm good. It's basically worn off by now. I'm just getting like intense emotions from you," She frowned but paused, considering her options.

"What would you like to do?"

"Help me work with this. If I know how to work it all" he waved vague ambiguously, "When it's easy, I know what I'm working towards,"

"I don't want you getting used to this Stiles, its dangerous,"

"Yeah, fine and I'm not going to get used to it. I don't even know what the hell it is, let alone how to make it. And there is no way I'm reliving another Alpha douche bag Peter Hale moment,"

She paused taking him in as he made his argument. She stood before his and shook her head as if knowingly and inevitable.

"I really should know better than to give in so easily to a Stilinski," Stiles really wanted to know what was behind that story.

She chatted to him for another half hour before setting aside all their distractions and then only gave him the bare minimum of instruction.

"So you want me to think about where you are in the room. That's really not helpful, I can see where you are in the room,"

"You need to see it in your mind, things just in front of you seem obvious, but are often misleading. Once you can see the image in your mind clearly, you'll be able to pick out emotions and thoughts fairly quickly after that. But the mind's eye develops differently for everyone. You picked out my emotions by looking at me when you first woke up. The potion kind of enhances your mind's eye. Many hallucinogenic drugs do similar things but they all have consequences. I don't like the idea of you using its effects in this way,"

"It's a taster right? You said I might not master it while I'm here. If I'm searching for something specific it'll be better right? I'll know if I'm getting it right,"

"You need encouragement to your belief? You said you had experience with similar belief orientated spells,"

"My friends were in danger," Stiles told her, sheepishly shrugging, "If I couldn't do it then our whole plan would fail and people would die," he didn't mention that is was all down to a stupid quote on a registration car plate.

"Then believe." Stiles rolled his eyes and sank backwards into the chair.

"At least tell me what I'm looking for up there," He waved a hand in her direction, before recoiling his hand again to run it through his hair instead when she raised an eyebrow at the gesture, "some direction to head for, light in the dark. Whatever,"

"Memories I have of your mother,"

"What? Jeez, this is how you're gonna help me out," he scowled

"It'll motivate you won't it?"

"I'll try okay,"

"You will not try, you will believe. There is no try,"

"Alright Yoda, one portion of believe, coming up," He rolled each shoulder one at a time to crack out his neck joints, cast her another wary look which was greeted with cold indifference, and he started to try, yes try, to picture her and the room in his mind. Knowing the potion was still in his system helping him picture the details was more help than Stiles would like to admit. He could remember how the papers were scattered on the desk, the light coming through the window, the other desk of trinkets and objects flared with sparks and glowing auras encompassing them in ways Stiles couldn't understand; Stiles refused to let himself be distracted by them and was just about to tune them out when Sara started talking to him again.

"Stiles you're looking for me now, my thoughts," Sara gently prompted him back to focussing on her. There was something of a shadow figure for where she sat in the image in his head. He couldn't pick out details, the clothes, the jewellery and the features were all a dark blank in his mind. He tried to focus closer.

"don't focus on the darkness, step back,"

"How can I not focus on the darkness," He snapped, "that is literally all I see of you,"

"That's unique to vampires, the thoughts are there, I assure you. But with me you need to step back to see them,"

Stiles pictured the room as a whole moving around the room as when his guidance counsellor had attempted to teach him calming and breathing techniques to de-stress. The techniques were fine, but they didn't help in the middle of a panic attack.

He pictures the room looking down on it from an upper corner, where he sat and then where a flicker of light darted like an insect across where Sara's head would have been in a true picture.

He must have gasped or moved to give her some indication of the event as she urged him to continue to watch for a similar thing.

"Pinpoint where it is and amplify it,"

"Maybe you need to think a little louder,"

"I shall try,"

"Thought there was no try,"

"Focus Stiles," She warned him. He huffed and pictured the scene again. The next time he noticed the light it was a more continuous flow of energy between what seemed to be two points of space.

But he looked closer and it felt as if he'd been spinning on the spot and had suddenly crouched down and was trying not to over balance and fall one way or the other. The rolling of his stomach as if on a theme park ride only made things harder but he had his focus now and he was picking up what this shimmer of light was; a flash of brown hair and a laugh he knew well. Feeling as if he was leaning yet further the memory began to form and Stiles forgot about the rest of the room. His mum was sat, as a picture in a tiny movie screen, in a café sipping from a mug with a baby in her arms. That was him, it must have been him. His dad told him that she'd never wanted to put him down when he was small; so small. The memory was viewed from where Sara was sat across the table from her, and another couple of women sat around them all moving their mouths as if to mime conversation. He heard his mum say something very specific though, "I'll never know what to tell him and when," She had said to Sara whilst cooing over Stiles' head.

"His fortune was a rare one," Sara agreed. The image flickered to an older woman but didn't linger there long enough for Stiles to learn what for.

"Brave and strong and binding to know," his mum chorused, "my brave little man,"

"When will you tell your husband Claudia?"

"I'd tell him the day he needs to know. If I hadn't seen it for myself I wouldn't believe a word of it, no matter who told me," The image faded and Stiles called out,

"what? No, what was she talking about that was important," He argued blinking and rubbing his eyes as the real world returned to his focus.

"She was really pretty," He mused, "It doesn't always show in the pictures but she was wasn't she?"

"A lot of very jealous men and women fell in her wake. But she was the kindest person I knew,"

"Dad says I'm like her. Or he doesn't always say it but I can tell when he looks at me like it hurts,"

"It would. Remind me why you're here Stiles,"

"To learn how I can protect my pack,"

"Exactly," He looked at her wide eyed and hopeful. She smiled genuinely, "would you like to see something else?" He nodded and she tapped her temple. "Take a look then,"

It wasn't any easier his second attempt but his first success was grounding enough for him to know it would work if he got it right.

The off balance feeling returned and he opened his eyes to see if he really was wobbling in his seat. He wasn't; sat as he had always been on the chair. Sara was watching him.

"Are you okay Stiles?"

"Just feels a little," He waved his arms at either side as if he were a high rope walker gaining his balance," Sara nodded.

"I see. It might be because you're shutting your eyes, you needn't you know. Keeping your eyes open will mean that your mind doesn't get confused in its own reality.

"So I need to watch two pictures at once," Stiles raised his eyebrows and watched her for some sort of conformation.

"You're vulnerable if you get caught up in solely one reality," Stiles saw more of Deaton in her for a minute then.

"Its not easy is it?"

"You have the most advantage you'll ever have right now," Stiles nodded.

"Yeah, right so. Open my mind, Jedi mind tricks," he muttered to himself.

"Stiles," She warned,

"Hey I wanted to be a Jedi for a good two years of my childhood,"

"You're distracting yourself,"

"No seriously, let me have this. It might work y'know. It's the same basic principles anyway. Like the clearing your mind, focus on the now, believe in what you want to happen…" He counted them of and surprised himself with the similarities.

"Very well, get on with it,"

He knew what he was looking for, memories of his mum; the smile the laugh the love of life, of the…pack.

"Your pups are more trouble every time I see them," His mum was telling a woman with long dark hair and dark eyes. She was familiar somehow; important but different.

"But they seem so calm around you, you've always had a way with them, especially now they can sense you're growing," Talia nodded to Stiles' mum's stomach.

"Oh that's what the extra hugging is?" His mum looked surprised.

"They want to get to know the baby before they ever meet it. The heartbeat has been audible for some time now,"

"That's…actually pretty sweet of them. And it explains Laura's affection recently,"

"She knows that one day that'll be her. She's remarkably aware,"

"You wouldn't catch her brother believing that," Sara added and all three women laughed into their drinks.

"Derek adores her, no matter how rough they play." The dark haired woman smiled.

"So my little baby will grow up safe with them," His mum rubbed her stomach slowly.

"They'll be one of us, as long as here with us. He won't be hurt while the Hale pack lives here,"

The image flickered. A new room, one in Stiles' own house, though it had since been redecorated. Their living room, the cabinet was there and the old ratty couch they never liked but never could be bothered to get rid of until just before his mum had died she'd ordered them to. Some last request. His mum was curled up and crying in the armchair.

"Claudia. Claudia you need to decide now," It was Sara's voice, "there's nothing more I can do for him. The memory turned as Sara did, Stiles was lying, pale and thin on the sofa, a jagged cut across his abdomen; he must have been about seven or eight. He didn't remember this "the bite isn't taking, he's strong but not that strong. I can't save him," they were both panicking. "The Hales are running down the one who did this but they won't get here in time,"

"And would you have your own son kill at his age?" A dark shadow rose up from the corner of the room. Stopping just out of sight in the shadows. His mother glared up and shouted,

"You could stop this, you don't need anything from me. Why won't you help?"

"Everything needs balance," Sara told her, quietly and calmly though the hint of fear was detectable. "I can erase his memories of the events running up to this but I cannot erase the damage.

"He's dying, he won't last another day, the change would never work for someone like him, but you could be together a little longer, a little deal perhaps. You'll suffer for it of course. As he grows stronger you'll grow weaker until one day…"

she turned to look Sara right in the eyes and It felt as if she were looking straight into Stiles'. "Erase his memory; everything. He can't go looking for this kind of trouble again. He'll be safe if he's kept away from it,"She stood, tears still trailiong down her cheeks and walked straight up the the shadow of a figure, facing his down "Do it, save him, tie us together and save him!" The man snapped his fingers and the scene faded to monotone in an instant. Stiles stood up in the shop room and the chair knocked him off balance.

"Saving your son will cost you a price," the stranger's words echoed In Stiles' head.

"No Stiles!" It was Sara this time who called out and stopped him.

"So it was my fault," He whispered, eyes dazed and glued to the floor. "It was always going to be because of me,"

"I shouldn't have shown you that, but it was one of the last memories I have when she asked me to go there with her. For you, it was always for you. What people do for each other is entirely their choice Stiles; whether she would have told you her actions or not. You were her priority, every bargain has an expiry date, she was remarkable strong to keep herself here for so long. She never wanted you to blame yourself. And she never wanted your father to know her choice, nor you to blame yourself for it," Stiles shook his head weakly and excused himself to get some fresh air.

"Hey mum," He spoke quietly to the sky, or maybe the pigeon sat on the overhead wires. The traffic was as noisy as ever but he couldn't hear more than a drone of background noise, a siren in the distance soon faded too "he… Dad, he wouldn't have understood, or he would have understood, but he wouldn't have wanted to lose you. He'd have done it himself, so, I guess I'm glad we lost you in a way we though was fairly normal," He let out a shuddering breath, "I love you mum, and I really miss you, and I don't even know if you would have agreed with me getting involved with all this stuff… probably not you know, but I wish I could have told you all about it. Does this mean that you've still…you're not going to be in as better place as you could have are you? Mum please, I…its too much. It wasn't your fault. I…I couldn't do anything," He wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve and sniffed again. "I can't lose dad to this stuff too, I've got to know how to protect him, Sara's going to show me the right stuff, right? She showed me when you were trusting her to help you cover up all this stuff. Did the healing potions and pain remedies work? I just… Thank you for trying to stick around longer okay? I really wish you were still here though, but I guess I'll always wish that though huh?"

Sara offered to chat after that, to 'clear the air' she said but Stiles passed, he just wanted to head back to his room.

"I don't think I'm up to much more thanks," He admitted.

"That's okay dear," She told him, helped him pack away his stuff and waved goodbye from the shop doorway. He picked up a take away on his way home but it was left discarded in his absent mindedness. The wall in front of his bed became a blank canvas of his escalating thoughts for a good few hours before his eyes started to fall shut.

Stiles woke up early the next day, left a note for the landlady letting her know he was getting breakfast out, and decided to drop by the diner. Kelly was busy behind the working the register so Stiles sat at the counter to chat with her. Banana pancakes was the most gorgeous taste in the morning. She told him that she was only working that morning until ten, after that she was looking after her five year old little sister.

"I didn't realise you had a sister," Stiles admitted, "Any other siblings?"

"Actually I have an older brother. Jonathon, my brother. He's at Caltech."

"Huh, cool."

"I don't hear from him much anymore. He doesn't connect like Lauren and me," she considered a moment, "and you too I guess," She paused, "What we can do,"

"Can he not do it or he won't try to…?" she looked up at him and Stiles saw her resolve harden her expression. "Sorry,"

"No, he… He calls it unnatural. He says we've corrupt ourselves by messing with, in his words. 'Whatever it is we do,'" She shrugged. " Mum kept it from us for a long time, then when we started practicing he was already thirteen. He didn't want anything to do with…this," She sighed and Stiles struggled to find the right words. He understood how freaky it was to be thrown into the supernatural with no clue about what was going on. A lot of the time he wished he wasn't involved. But he'd never leave his best friend behind; And all his other friends now of course. 'This stuff' had brought a lot people together too.

"Hey do you want to hang out with me and Lauren today?" Kelly suggested, clearly wanting to get past her moment of vulnerability. "We're going to the park, getting some lunch and stuff, you in?"

"Sure. Do you have the shop's number? I'll let them know I'll drop in later or something,"

They picked a bench overlooking the duck pond where Lauren was throwing bread to the birds.

"So you're stuck," She turned to Stiles from "You believe in werewolves, human sacrifice, magical spells and prophetic visions. But you don't believe in yourself for long enough to connect to the natural forces and natural energy,"

"Natural energy?" He asked raising an eyebrow at the phrase; it conjured Star wars images in his head of Luke and Anakin Skywalker 'using the force'. Kelly Shrugged.

"Better than saying pixie dust, or anything associated with power inside a person,"

"Is that a thing? Pixie dust I mean," He watched her apprehensively. He'd read worse than pixies in his books.

"Yeah,"

"And what does it do?"

"You really don't want to know. Its not common, don't worry about it,"

"So it's not something in the person," Stiles said, changing the subject to a safe topic between them.

"From what I've seen. We can only manipulate the forces available to us. Supernatural creatures are always affected by nature to an extent. The lunar eclipse and lay lines you've already see." Stiles nodded as he thought back, "But the seasons have as much to do with magic and weather for the right herbs to grow. From the last couple of years there's actually a shortage of basic protection and healing plants. But that'll change with nature and next year we might have bumper quantities. People can't affect that. And we can only take what nature willingly provides us means to,"

"But nature doesn't choose who gets bitten," he argued.

"The bite doesn't always take. Nature always has the final say,"

"And hunters,"

"Aim to take nature into their own hands. It does not work out well for them in the long run. They are themselves hunted and feared," there was a lot of regret in her words. As if Hunters could not help themselves any longer. Stiles pictured Alison, when she was so set on revenge on Derek; brainwashed and angry and set on her path that could have turned so horribly wrong.

"You know believing it'll work isn't exactly fool proof," Kelly raised an eyebrow at the comment and called Lauren over to them.

Lauren's scowl and longing look back to the ducks but she returned at her sister's call.

"Lauren, how do we defend ourselves from big bads?"

"Why? Are there any here? Kelly where's mummy,"

"No! no Laurz, that's not what I meant. Stiles here just doesn't know how to defend himself," Lauren turned to him wide eyed.

"Why not?"

"No one's ever taught me stuff like that. I've had to learn as I go along. I'm not very good so far,"

"Hey Lauren, " Kelly said, "How do we defend against werewolves then?"

"Mountain ash,"

"And vampires?"

"mirror light and garlic and bloodstones," Each of the answers came automatically to her mind.

"And fairies," Kelly continued.

"Basil, pepper, aloe and rowan wood," Stiles knew he should probably be making note of some of these.

"And ghosts?"

"Go boo!" she giggled, and so did Stiles after seeing her laugh, "and salt and iron,"

"And… a Stiles?"

"Is 'tiles a big bad?" Kelly shook her head for a no, "Self defence silly; because you have to have balance." Lauren continued.

"She means accepting the good and the bad,"

"Because even if you're bad here, " Lauren pointed to the middle of Stiles' chest, "It doesn't matter if you're good everywhere else," She through herself forwards and hugged him as strong as a five year old can.

"Well if a five year old believes in you…" Kelly smiled and nodded to the two of them,

"Mummy shows me how its supposed to work, then I do it because I know it can work,"

"you're mum's trying to help me learn now too

"She can usually hold a vision, birds or butterflies or fish in the air. She's been doing it since she was in her crib. That was when mum had to explain to us what was happening. I loved it, Jon, not so much," Kelly and Lauren shared a look, "Mum used it to keep her entertained and started teaching me about the same time. Jon started spending a lot more time out and with friends,"

"Can you do a spark 'tiles? Like this,"

Stiles flinched as a silvery shape flickered past his face. He followed it to see a school of silvery minnows swimming around the three of them.

"Oh my God…"

"Lauren! stop it," Kelly scolded and from the way Lauren ducked her head and the fish vanished, she may have regretted it. "You know you're not supposed to do that in public." She calmed her voice once she'd checked no one had noticed what had happened. "Other people don't understand,"

"Sorry Kel," Stiles almost believed her, until from under her curtain of hair Lauren peeked up at him with a gleam in her eye and grinned.

Kelly regained her soft affectionate look in her eyes as she watched the two of them.

"Stiles try looking at her,"

"What do you mean?"

"See what she sees," Kelly prompted

"You can Stiles, I don't mind!"

"Uh okay, but I'm not sure…"

"Stiles, she wants to show you," He looked at her uneasily,

"Uh okay," He tried to focus on what she was thinking, the …joy, family, she thought hr sister was happy so she was, it was the same feeling at Kelly. Knowing that Lauren was happy made her so.

"I think I can feel you both,"

"Try focussing just on one, the brightest might be easiest," He felt one of the minds subdue itself and he presumed that it was Laurens that kept strong and active.

"This is so weird,"

"'Tiles listen to me," She tapped her forehead, " up here,"

"I'm trying Laurz. Its hard y'know,"

"'tiles," She whined.

"Think big," In what felt like a pulse of energy, suddenly Stiles could see clearly Lauren was thinking Stiles and Kelly were…together.

"Dude, no. that is not a thing!" Lauren giggled and Kelly gave Stiles a questioning look. "You really don't want to know,"

"Lauren are you embarrassing Stiles?"

"Nooo," her denial was nowhere close to believable.

"You're lying to me Lulu,"

"Ask 'tiles,"

"Laur, I kind of have someone back home that's important to me. Maybe you can meet him sometime too. but Kelly's my friend, just like you are," From behind her Kelly rolled her eyes and nodded him on.

"Cause I live in Beacon hill right, and there are werewolves and things there, but most of them… well they're all my friends. They'd all think you're really cool,"

"Really?"

"Yeah,"

"Cool," She fidgeted on the bench in between the two teens, "Could you tell me some of your adventures 'tiles? Were they scary? And have you ever met…?" so for every story Stiles told Lauren would tell him how he could have healed his friends or set up a boundary around a house. For a kid so small she knew spells that could bind a person still, lock and unlock doors and windows, she could spark a flame or a ball of light; Stiles couldn't help but tell her how stupid it made him feel not to know any of this stuff. He scanned her mind a couple more times as they chatted, each time it was easier to focus on Lauren's particular style of mind chatter. She was at the park, with her sister for the whole day. But she knew her sister was going away soon, for college. Every time she though about Stiles going home it hurt; Because when Kelly left and went it would hurt too. She was worried about losing Kelly like she had Jon.

After another hour or so Stiles had to say good bye and make his way back to the shop where Sara was practically buzzing.

"You've been busy then I see," She hummed.

"I can read thoughts a little better now too,"

"Really? Well done," she smiled, "Would you like to show me?"

He first sensed her intrigue which soon became the clearer thoughts as he focussed on her alone; the busy bustle of street fading away as he went deeper.

"the books she'd been sorting, a difficult customer who criticised how effective a bog standard crystal and, she was looking back at his thoughts.

"Wait a minute. Stop!" He threw himself back to reality's sharpness.

"Sorry I couldn't resist. You have yet to shield yourself,"

"Jeez, you don't have to be all, I'm better than you and I want you to know it… stuff,"

"I apologise Stiles. If you had been wearing your bracelet charm I might not have found it so easy," Stiles gave her a stink eye and pulled the charm from his rucksack pocket and slid it around his hand.

"Can't I make my own one of these anyway?"

"If you would like. I would ask that you buy your own materials. My personal stock is limited," It was a lie but Stiles didn't like to call her on it despite how off the comment felt.

"What can we work on this afternoon then?" He asked, pushing past her and dropping his bag by his desk.

"You could work on your pain transfer some more if you're like," Sara suggested, reaching for a shoebox sized cage with four mice scurrying and sniffing as their home was moved from a high shelf to the desk where three of them stared up at Stiles, and the other curled up to nap, or it might have been sulk in one of the back corners.

"They don't look too happy about this," He put his fingers a little to close to the bars and received a nibble to the end of his finger for his trouble. Sara placed a small pot of salve.

"You might need this if they bite too much, try channelling the pain back into the mice until the do not bite any more,"

"Nice idea, but what if they decide I'm just not tasty enough?"

"There's a box of pins in one of the drawers if you need them,"

"Woah, hey. No. I am not stabbing something as part of a training session,"

"Then you may have to wait for Miriam in the morning,"

"Because you're so averse to stabbing yourself with a pin. As a vampire, I do not feel pain in the same way as a human or even a werewolf,"

"Werewolves do feel pain don't they, huh?" He tried to reach into the cage for one of the mice but it ran through his fingers to the other side of the cage.

"Just because they heal quicker, does not mean the physical injury doesn't hurt just the same," Stiles shot her a look as she left the room to serve a customer just as one of the creatures ran up over his hand.

"Jesus!" he flicked his hand and the mouse fell, hitting the glass. "Uh, sorry," he reached back over for it and it had seemed to forgiven him, "Well I guess you've got some pain there then little guy?" He drew on the symbols to his arm that he'd noted in his journal, from the pictures he'd taken on his phone the last time he's tried this. Leading his conscious to the nerves in the mouse was still unnerving. He could feel the mouse hesitate in his hand; whenever a wolf had taken pain from him Stile had never been able to explain the way it seemed to fade away leaving a numbness and warmth behind. He searched the mouse for the cause of the aggravated nerves at the same time feeling the mouse favour all but one of its back legs as it moved around in his hand.

"This is so weird," He told it. The symbols, as Miriam had partially explained before, gave him a heightened sensitivity and awareness. It was different to the way werewolves used their power. Stiles had to tune in more specifically to where the pain was in the mouse. Waiting for the nerves to jump back and effectively bite him again made him He attempted to draw on the pain and the mouse squeaked and ran from his fingers.

"I'm trying to help you y'know," He told it indignantly, "you're like three inches long and the biggest baby," The mouse wasn't letting him come anywhere near him again though for the moment so Stiles scooped up on of the others.

"You're up number two," He told it. It bit his thumb. "Right then,"

Stiles was staring to get the hang of how to pick out the pain from the mouse's nerves an hour or two later. He wasn't too certain the same method would work no humans since he'd gotten a good idea of the mouse's nerve system structure. "Is it the same kind of structure for humans Sid?" the mouse was clearly a Sid. Sid as in the sloth from the Ice Age movies Stiles had been made to watch by Scott a good thirty or forty times each. "Its probably is right? I kind of followed the nerves on Miriam until I found which ones were all… Grr!" The mock growl did nothing to Sid who had curled up almost as soon as Stiles had but him down.

"Take pain like in the normal world would be kind of revolutionary wouldn't it huh? All those people with pain relief medication and all they really need is a half decent werewolf friend or a couple of symbols and a pesky spider or something. Okay maybe you wouldn't appreciate the move but can you imagine how much happier people would be if they could just get rid of all their pain. If my mum could have stopped her pain; if I could've stopped her pain, "he breath caught in his throat and he swallowed down the rising guilt, "I couldn't y'know back then I don't think, but I would've done anything," He blinked hard and looked away as if feeling the mice watching him and knowing him a little too well for his outburst.

He didn't concentrate too well after that and Sara sent him off at about half five. He spent a good couple of hours wandering aimlessly around town. He was only in a thin shirt and it was only when he began to shiver from the goose bumps that he realised it probably wasn't his best idea yet in an unfamiliar town. He grabbed some food from a stand on the main street that was just closing up which soon warmed through his fingers. As he entered through the door of his room he threw the rubbish at the bin and pulled out his phone. His fingers didn't hover in apprehension for long and he tried to slow his breathing as the call rang out.

The call clicked over to a message and Stiles was tempted to hang up. He swore, took a deep breath and started, "Derek. I, uh, hey, haven't been attacked or maimed or killed yet so it's actually all pretty good to be honest. Yeah. Look I've had kind of a long day and whatever but I needed to just talk and stuff and I can just picture you standing in front of me waiting 'til I catch a breath. I know I've been giving Scott the daily updates so he doesn't freak or anything but he does worry and he'd only send the whole pack out here if he thought there was trouble. Sara isn't actually evil, or at least I don't think she is. Kind of like how I thought you were evil but it was just 'cause I didn't know you… I've been working in her shop while I've been picking up a few things. There's another woman called Miriam and her daughter Kelly. We've kind of become friends, but mostly because she knows about all this stuff too and even if she tells me how stupid I am for not getting the whole believe in yourself thing its nice to have her around but…" the message clicked off and he shut his eyes tight, "I miss you Derek," He turned the phone off and threw it to the other side of the room where it landed on top of his suitcase.

Stiles curled up on top of the bed and tried his hardest not to think of how much he wanted to be back home. He pictured Erica and Cora's teasing. Scott's hugs and repeated telling that he was pack and he belonged somewhere; there with his friends. He wanted to believe it now.

From behind him something shattered and Stiles jerked up and twisted to see the lamp on the other side of the room had fallen from the chest of drawers.

"What the hell," He was about to stand and retrieve the pieces, wondering how much the damage was going to cost him, when the pieces continued to move. Some of them into the shapes of letters, others pushed haphazardly out of the way. Stiles scrambled to make sure he was still wearing the protective band around his wrist. When he couldn't find it he realised he must have put it back into his pack. The very same which was closer to whatever this thing was, than him.

He glanced back at the moving shards of lamp and froze. STILES was spelled out, but that might have just been his mind playing tricks on him.

"Okay, so if that does say Stiles, you know me. A clue would help,"

The pieces scattered, a handful being thrown against the wall and Stiles jumped.

"Hey easy, I can work this out. You're angry but haven't hurt me so you're not someone I've genuinely pissed off. If I know you knock once for yes, two for no." A thump came from the chest of drawers. "Do I know you?" the next knock sounded more like a stamp of a foot on the floorboards right in front of Stiles. His heart was racing but he still couldn't get to the door. "From here or…" Another stamp confirmed, "O-h my god Clive?" Another yes. "Okay I swear I really don't want to piss you off. Jesus, didn't I tell you to use a pen," Stiles felt something fly past his head and ducked, throwing his arms up over his head. "I really don't know how to speak ghost okay," He glanced down at the projectile to see it was a pen. The ghost has a sense of humour. "All you do is move people's pillows, my ass,"

From in front of his eyes the pen vanished and seconds later a scratching began on the floorboards. Stiles backed away from it towards his pack and phone. He only managed to grab his phone before another projectile narrowly missed him.

"Hey, I'm so not appreciating the attitude," He told it, whilst behind his back going into the contact page and typing in 'Sara'. He kept his finger over the speaker and hoped she'd understand if she could hear him. He took a couple of steps forward to see what had been scratched into the wood.

_Not a ghost. A trapped angel. Help me_.

"Hey, whoa, not cool. Clive I don't know how to help. Seriously I am like zero percent useful. I don't even know what angel means I swear. Like holy angel. Avenging angel. Either way if you're trapped that probably happened for a reason and…hey!" Stiles might not have seen anything but he certainly felt a jabbing pian in his leg.

_I can read your thoughts. A door once open._

"You want me to read the thoughts of a ghost?" The scratching continued and two think indentations appeared beneath the word angel.

"Dude you must have been around Miriam and Sara for like years. And I'm really not a fan of the whole, poisoning me then expecting me to help," The silence that followed only put Stiles on edge more. He tensed ready to duck or flinch from the next flying object. He was extremely wary of the shards of lamp still on the floor nearby.

Not now, practice. Came the words. Your presence has affected me.

"Ghost, angel, makura-what-cha ma called, its just plain weird. I don't know what I'm doing and I can't help you!" At that moment the door burst open and his landlady burst into the room waving incense stick and throwing a plastic tub of salt over everything she cold reach.

"Stiles you might want to wait downstairs. Sara's on her way. I'm afraid I haven't been upkeeping the wards I should have done. I'm sorry,"

"Uh yeah, yeah sure," He heard her but nothing was really translating. She turned to him, pulled him into a quick hug then pushed him away and held him at arms length by his shoulders.

"Go downstairs, make a cup of tea, call your mum okay?" and with those orders she went back to throwing salt at the room. Stiles wondered how he didn't fall down the stairs on his way to the kitchen.

Sara and Miriam arrived in fifteen minutes, Miriam checked on Stiles while Sara headed straight upstairs to 'assess the situation. After a few minutes Sara came back to Stiles and asked him to come back upstairs. Explain exactly what had happened. He explained as best he could but eventually ended up sat on the bed, dusting off his bag; Sara and Miriam busied themselves around him. Miriam told him he could stay with her for the rest of the time he was staying and he gratefully accepted.

"Thursday's our big day off," Miriam told him gleefully from where she sat on one of the cabinets. Obviously having decided she'd done all she could to restore order.

"Not exactly," Sara muttered under her breath and she copied out symbols from a ritual.

"Thursday is thrift shop day," Miriam explained

"A whole day?" Stiles raised his eyebrows.

"Its not completely a day off," Miriam shrugged, "We search out cursed, influencing or enhancing items, and then Sara pays for lunch," Miriam said that like it was the perfect day. Stiles could imagine it might be after a night like his, "Kelly comes with us too. Her speciality is jewellery, Sara's is books, mine is your basic junk, and the store owners keep things to one side here and there. They think we're collectors of cult-ish and high end tack,"

"Period antiques." Sara corrected her. Miriam waved off the comment.

"Sounds like fun," Stiles agreed, looking to Miriam who winked back at him as she jumped from her perch and offered him a hand to stand up.

"Oh it is hun," it was early hours by the time Sara was happy with the protection on the house and they'd all tidied up the mess out of consideration. Stiles barely kept track of the turns between there and Miriam's house as she drove them through the darkness.

The new house was full of sounds he wasn't used to and by the time he'd arrived it was close to half past two in the morning and he heard people moving around the house around seven o'clock the next morning . He changed his shirt, dusted off his jeans and trudged down the stairs. He followed the sounds of talking to the kitchen where Kelly and Lauren were sat in the kitchen in their pyjamas, chatting over their breakfast cereals. Lauren looked uneasily over at him before her brain must have reminded her of who he was, even if it didn't explain what he was doing at breakfast.

"'lo 'tiles," She said around a mouthful of cereal and milk. Kelly looked round in surprise.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Had a minor run in with Sara's pet poltergeist last night. Your mum offered me the office couch to sleep on,"

"But you're okay?" She checked again.

"Kinda," He admitted shrugging one shoulder and sat down in the spare chair beside them.

"Cool, You want breakfast Stiles?"

"Yeah, thanks. What is there?" Kelly left her own breakfast and chair and pulled open a cupboard door.

"cornflakes, chocolate puffs or toast and jam," she raised an eyebrow at him waiting for his response

"chocolate puffs would be great," He decided and she pulled the box from the shelf and passed it over to him as she fetched the milk bowl and spoon.

"So are you coming with us today as well then?" Kelly asked him.

"Shopping? Yeah I think so," Beside him Lauren pulled a face.

"Shopping's boring. I'm going to play dinosaurs with Jaz. Jaz is my friend."

"Well dinosaurs are pretty cool too. What's your favourite?" Stiles could understand the prioritisation of dinosaurs over a shopping trip. He did silently consider how long it would be under Lauren grew up from valuing dinosaurs over new clothes and trinkets.

"The Tyranny-saurus. She threw down her spoon in favour of raising her arms and hands into claws and roaring at him. When Stiles' reciprocal roar was deeming acceptable she laughed and returned her attention to her food. Half way through him own breakfast Stiles' phone began to ring in his pocket. He took it out to see the caller ID: Erica.

"No phones at the table 'tiles!" Lauren yelled gleefully when she spotted what he was doing. Kelly meanwhile swiped the phone from his hand and answered it herself.

"Hey!" He yelled.

"Is this important?" Kelly asked, completely oblivious to Stiles' attempts to get he phone back from her.

"That's not what I asked." She glanced up at Stiles, "Really? Huh,"

"Erica please play nice," Stiles added, knowing that Erica would probably pick up the fact that he hadn't been kidnapped by a crazy.

"Erica huh? Hi, I'm Kelly. One of Stiles' friends, and you're the kick-ass werewolf right," Stiles admired Kelly's unashamed buttering up. He could only imagine Erica preening from the comment

"Uh huh," she continued, "Friendly neighbourhood witch," She passed her sister a napkin with her other hand and when it was ignored began wiping her sister's face 'til she squirmed and yelled. "He didn't say that but I'm not interested," She told Erica, "I think he's safe for now. But I guess it does explain a couple of things. Poor boy's been pining for someone,"

"Have not!" Stiles objected and tried once again to grab the phone. Kelly pushed him back with a flick of her fingers and presumably a spell which had him sat back in his seat glaring at her.

"Derek huh? No, no I can imagine he might. No, I'd quite prefer my limbs still attached but I'll bear that in mind," She scooped up another spoonful of cereal as she listened to Erica talk. Stiles gave up and returned to his breakfast, shooting her glances every now and again. When he heard noises on the stairs, Kelly's head perked up and she told Erica she had to go and passed the phone back to Stiles. Within moments Miriam walked through the doorway and bid them all good morning. It turned out Erica was calling to let him know that she wanted him home. That Boyd, Cora and Isaac were assholes and Scott didn't understand. She apparently had also started a fight with the twins. Stiles sympathised with her and reassured her that he'd be home in a few days. He didn't dare restart the topic of what Derek's been doing after the long and likely over sharing conversation that had just taken place. He wrapped up the phone call and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He'd half expected Derek to call him after the message he'd left last night had cut him off abruptly but then the other half of him knew that he'd told Derek he was taking this week out and completely free of distractions. It's not like he'd left an urgent, call me back immediately message for anything life or death.

At about ten o'clock they had all washed and brushed up and as the girls were pulling on their coats there was a knock on the door. IT was Sara who apparently had her own key anyway from how she walked into the living room before anyone had considered who was going to answer the call.

"Are you feeling better this morning Stiles?" She asked him after greeting everyone.

"Yeah, I'm good, thanks," It wasn't long before they were all out of the door and crowding into Sara's car. Lauren had demanded a hug from everyone before she raced off to join her friend and Jaz's mum waved from the doorway.

It took them another twenty minute to get round and through the traffic and when they finally parked Sara suggested they split up since she had a few errands of her own to sort out. This instruction led to Stiles being dragged into the warehouse by Kelly, with Miriam following behind. Once Stile was told what to look out for it actually became something of a game, when he and Kelly weren't picking weird odds and ends from the mix. Miriam called him over to show him how to identify a lightweight curse from a table selection.. It was a similar technique to searching for thoughts. Focus down from the real noise to the silence and focus on the space around the object. As it turned out a charm was on a baby's hard wooden rattle toy. Stiles went to reach for it and had his hand smacked away.

"OW! What charm is it anyway?" he asked as Miriam put on a pair of leather gloves before reaching down to pick it up and inspect it.

"I believe its calming. But I'll have to check. Things like this are used for teething infants. As you can imagine, calming charms and teething pains fit together like a jigsaw might,"

"Stiles watched as she rolled it between her gloved hands and muttered some unfamiliar words before placing the toy back on the table.

"All I need do in most cases is break the spell, not actually buy the object; unless of course its an interesting spell or there are traces of multiple spells. Thrift shops have everything you need for a good challenging shopping trip," Her eyes glinted with the word challenge and Stiles couldn't help but smile. He went back to the tables he'd been searching before, now looking more carefully for the slight pulse of energy the rattle had emitted.

"Hey Stiles!" His head jerked up to look across the store to where Kelly was holding up a wolf plush cuddly. A pale grey and white fur covered the 8 inch toy. He shook his head. "Keep an eye out for a black wolf," he called over to her, "Now that I'd have to buy,"

"You could always dye it a different colour," Kelly suggested. Stiles shrugged and went back to looking through the scrap.

"Not worth it when you've got your own wolf," She cuddled it for a moment before putting it back down and moving on to the next table. He picked up a cuddly toy from his own side of the table and launched it at Kelly. She glared at him when it hit her right on her shoulder. He guessed it was only a matter of time before she reciprocated the offence.

"Do you find much spelled stuff or whatever?" He asked, seemingly innocent but keeping his focus on any hint of retaliation.

" there's always a few pieces. We keep a mental tally count; mum usually wins though. Sara thinks she cheats too," she lifted a brass ornament, "Best way to check just in case, you watch for any odd arrangements of items initially. Things with recognisable effects like sat on their own with an even gap between it and other items, or groups of items you wouldn't think go together but are all touching. Those spells are likely to affect people over a longer time. Mess with their psyche. We come every week so check the dates for recent deliveries. She held up one of the price stickers and Stiles noted the date on the ticket.

"Newer dates are more likely to be unchecked, and therefore more likely to have uh, additional extras or freebies," She pushed past an older woman examining a teapot and set and Stiles smiled at the choice of words. The warehouse haul was six items in the end; two of which were books Sara had picked out when she returned, the plush wolf toy that Stiles had gone back to and couldn't resist smiling at. He considered giving it to Lauren, though she'd probably prefer a dinosaur or a duck. He bought it anyway and stuck it in his bag to decide on later. After the warehouse the group split up again; Kelly and Stiles heading in one direction, and Miriam and Sara in the other.

Kelly treated him much as Lydia did; a walking talking shopping carrier. On the plus side she was completely willing to help him pick out the magic energy around various objects. She even cursed a couple of really hideous ornaments for Stiles to figure out from the junk tables. Kelly had run ahead to the next store to curse three or four items to test him while Stiles lingered outside. He heard raised voices and followed them, creeping slowly to the side of the building and once he realised who it was he ducked back behind the wall and bins. Sara was down the alleyway with her back to Stiles, Miriam at her side. Luckily he was downwind and the man who was shouting was more focussed on Sara to notice that he was being watched.

"He's a Hale," The man's eyes flashed red and with how he'd been picking up magic Stiles felt the air crackle around him like static. Stiles had to purposefully not gasp and draw attention to himself.

"He's not, and he's not a threat to you," Sara argued, seemingly not afraid of holding her ground against this alpha werewolf though she must have felt the stake rise as the alpha drew on his own supernatural power. Miriam was stood at her side, though she didn't add anything but instead remained as support and the occasional glance around to check the area.

"Don't think you can trick me," he snarled, wolf features beginning to feed into his expression "I know who he's associated with. A few herbs couldn't cover up that scum's scent. If that boy is on my territory learning how to…"

"Stiles will not hurt you, and his pack isn't here" Stiles heard Kelly shout to him and beckoned her over, urging her to be quiet with a finger on his own lips.

"You should have asked my permission before you had any contact with this filth. I would have set you straight,"

"Don't you threaten me Michael, Stiles is my friend, I was friends with his parents when I lived in Beacon Hills myself,"

"Choose your allegiances, or I'll choose them for you," Michael turned and stormed away down the street where he was flanked by what Stiles assumed were two betas. From behind him Kelly looked like she was about to say something but Stiles urged her to stay quiet and pushed her back into one of the stores, checking that Miriam and Sara hadn't seen them either.

"Stiles, you're in trouble. If he thinks you're a threat, that's your life he's going to be after," Kelly protested, clearly anxious as she glanced back through the windows to the street.

"Yeah, but I'm only here for a couple more days; he won't act that quickly with he?"

"I don't know, but even mum was scared of him deep down, I could feel it. And he's out for blood. He really hates Hale,"

"There are quite a few Hales he could hate,"

"You think that'll matter, right now he hates you,"

"I'll ask Sara about upping my protection charms and I'll leave before he can act on anything. Don't worry okay?" She nodded, but didn't look convinced.

"Okay," Her voice was quiet and as they left the shop she was repeatedly glancing round. Checking and watching, just in case. From the look on her face she was also scanning thoughts; a slightly dazed expression which left her not quite concentrating on where she was going. Stiles walked a little closer to her to steady her balance as the canvassed the streets.

Another hour later and Stiles was getting tired despite being interested in all they were finding his mind kept tripping back to the conversation he'd overheard.

"There's just one more shop I'd like to see before we head back," Kelly said, pointing to the corner shop which looked like largely crafts. Nothing old enough to be antiques, "We could get you those herbs for the poultices and bracelets there too," She pulled her phone out of her pocket and began typing. "Mum's asked where we are; says they'll meet us here in a minute. Stiles nodded, and followed her across the street.

"Yeah okay. Is this that part where Sara pays for lunch?" Stiles asked. His stomach had been making noises for at least the last half hour and the thought of food was too tempting.

"Yep," Kelly grinned and Stiles could easily see the resemblance to Lauren's expression the day before.

"I think the herbs are over that side," She pointed to the right of the shop where rows upon rows of wicket baskets flanked the shelves.

"Thanks," He said, making his way over as she headed in the other direction and began scavenging through the jewellery and bangles.

Picking the plants and ties was not the easiest of tasks. He didn't think going up the cashier and asking 'what's the best combination for protection against mental manipulation' and 'increased healing protection' would get him the best results; or anything but asked to leave. Not to mention the other people in the shop would probably start calling the police about a local nut case escapee. He palmed over some of the things he thought would work and decided to wait until Kelly was finished and she could help point him in the right direction. He took out his own band and tried to identify the various strands of plants

Stiles glanced up the door when bell sounded, expecting to see Sara and Miriam; but within moments knew his heart must have sped up when he saw the alpha werewolf from earlier stroll in casually. He didn't like to shout to Kelly to warn her but instead Stiles slipped behind one of the shelves hoping to get out of sight. A sharp pain caught him on the back of the head and he fell to the floor.

He knew he should be able to wake up, open his eyes and find out where the hell he was but even hearing the muffled sounds around him of people and traffic he couldn't think straight. There were people around him though, that was good right? He could see muted lights and a figure leaning over him. They were saying something he couldn't quite catch. Something pricked his arm and darkness dragged him back into unconsciousness.

Stiles groaned when he started to wake up. He was in a cold dark room with very little light coming through the small curtained window he could see from where he lay. His head felt like it had hit the floor first however he had ended up in here. His hands were tied behind his back but his feet were free. Not that he could move them. He could remember the stab of a needle and cringed at the thought of whatever had been injected into him; some sort of sedative. Just a sedative he hoped. But for how paralysed he felt it was horribly reminiscent of Jackson's Kanima venom. The freezing cold concrete floor seemed to have drained every last bit of heat from his body and the sooner he could move the better. Damn it! How long must he have been out and he still couldn't move. He stared at the wall in front of him; nothing to it but concrete and cracks. He counted the cracks; number of horizontal, number of vertical, how many joined the ceiling… well he could move his head slightly to see the concrete ceiling. Five star accommodations, it really was. With no way to tell the passage of time as his body unfroze he practiced concentrating on the sounds around him. Focussing down of them until that's all he could hear before moving on to the next. Cataloguing them to figure out where he might be.

After what Stiles estimated as half an hour, he had control of his arms and legs; and though he really wanted to move sitting up was as far as his balance allowed and even that made him nauseas. There was more to the room it seemed; a mattress and blanket and a bucket dropped in the corner. Kidnappers these days really went all out for comfort and style he mused. He crawled over to the mattress and blanket in hopes of a little more warmth. He pulled all his layers around him and curled his hands into fists as he listened for any more movement. If they wanted him dead they would have killed him right? So he's useful for the moment and he is not going to die. If all it took was believing in this stuff Stiles would believe that he was going to get home; properly home, and soon; back to his Dad and his pack.

There was scuffing of boots somewhere outside the door, to what he could only call his cell. A lock clicked open and the door pushed in to reveal two people, the woman stood looking down at him disdainfully while the man lurked behind her. Stiles could only pick him out by his anger driven thoughts.

"'Bout time you woke up, the other have been awake a good two hours by now," The woman told him.

"Others?" Stiles asked before he could stop himself.

"The traitors to my territory," The man replied stepping into view and Stiles flinched to see it was the Alpha so infuriated by the name Hale.

"the Syracuse pack know their limits boy. They also know when to share a little information. I didn't quite believe it when I heard that someone from the Beacon Hill's pack would dare show their face to me again,"

"If I knew who you were, I might know better," Stiles replied.

"You smell of a Hale and you come from Beacon Hills. If you were not warned against coming into another's territory without warning neither you nor your so called pack are as clever as you think you are,"

"It's a new pack, we're learning the rules as we go,"

"Then this will be quite a lesson for you," He turned on his heel and left, the woman waiting behind still looking down her nose at him as if he smelled bad, which, depending on how long they'd had him, might be true. He wasn't going to lift an arm to check while she was watching him though. Timed passed and Stiles wondered whether she was just going to stare at him.

"Why did you come here? Did Derek send you?" She asked finally, softer now probably because her alpha was out of earshot.

"No, I came on my own. Sara offered to teach me how to protect my pack. How do you know Derek?"

"I don't," She snapped, "And Laura?" She demanded. Stiles got a wicked reminder of Kate Argent, prompting him for more answers which he knew he shouldn't share in complete detail. Still, he was stuck here, and she was the first one to take notice in who he was and what he knew. If he could convince her that he knew more than they did they might keep him alive to find out.

"Laura Hale?" Stiles asked, wary about how the answer would be perceived. The woman nodded. "Dead, Peter killed her. Scott McCall is Alpha now,"

"He killed Peter?" she blinked in surprise. The last Stiles imagined she'd have heard was that Peter was trapped inside his own messed up and scarred head stuck in a hospital chair and his own mess.

"Derek killed Peter. Peter came back; Derek gave up his alpha power to save Cora Hale. Scott achieved true alpha-ness when he stood up against the alpha pack that visited us," Stiles summarised as he counted out the events on his fingers.

"True alpha?" Her eyes widened.

"Yep," The woman turned on the spot, slammed the door closed with a bang and fled. Stiles could feel her mind fading as she retreated and he felt the very force of being alone again.

A plastic wrapped tuna mayo sandwich and bottle of water was thrown into the cell several hours later when it really was darkness outside the window and it must have been a few hours into the night-time. It felt like a last minute after thought, 'oh we'd better feed the human. Make sure he lasts through the night,' He ate what he could keep down and curled up on the mattress, saving half for the morning, or whenever he woke up hungry next.

It was marginally warmer when he did wake up next and he almost felt like he was back at home with Erica curled up as a ball of fur next to him on the bed until he opened his eyes and saw Lauren instead.

He gasped when he realised and tears came to his eyes at the sight of her curled up so small. His movement woke her up and she looked up at him with tired bloodstained eyes. She looked around the dismal room before turning back to him.

"'tiles, where's mummy and Kelly?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know," He said, pulling the thin blanket off his own shoulders and tucking it around hers.

"She was with me before, but then, the big bads, they took Kelly and me away from her. Said it would make her do the w'ight 'ting," the tears in Lauren's eyes were growing and Stiles pulled her into a hug.

"They'll be okay Lauren," he reassured her, "As long as you can be brave they will be too. And if they can be brave they can come find you, okay?" Stiles rubbed slow circles in between Lauren's shoulder blades and willed himself to be strong and protect her.

Lauren turned her nose up at the left over sandwich but drank some of the water so Stiles counted that as the best of a bad situation involving a kidnapping, a kid and no current plan of escape. He finished the sandwich himself and she showed him some of her images in the air like the fish and butterflies to pass the time. The spells made her tired though and she soon fell asleep tucked once again into his side.

When Stiles started to hear movement in the hall again he moved Lauren from his side, down onto the mattress and stood to greet the person as the opened the door. It was the same woman as before and although she wasn't expecting him to be stood waiting for her as he was, she passes him a handful and energy bars and another bottle of water. Stiles turned to set them down at the foot of the bed for later, expecting to hear the door slam behind him. He looked round at the woman when he saw she was not leaving immediately.

"They want to use you to make Derek dependant on Michael. Make him grovel and take orders and kill himself to save you. I haven't told them Derek's not an alpha anymore, but they never knew that anyway. They can sense what you are to him though. You need to get out of here before they either turn you or start sending the Hales your fingers and toes,"

"You make it sound so easy," Stiles scoffed, but he checked to make sure Lauren wasn't awake to hear all the macabre threats

"You have magic, help yourself," She slammed the door behind her as per her style and left at the same speed and the time before; hasty and with apprehension prickling the edges of her thoughts.

He sighed and dropped on to the bed and started thinking. Ideally he'd have some way to write down all of his ideas as they came streaming through his consciousness. He didn't want to start talking out loud in case it woke Lauren up and he felt sure his speech would drift onto things he really didn't want to let a five year old hear.

He looked around, one question clear in his mind; how do I get out of this room? The options were thus: the door, the window, through a wall, or dis-apperate. Admittedly he didn't think J K Rowling would help him much now but it didn't stop him associating magic with the fiction he'd read as a kid.

"'tiles," He whipped round the see Lauren stirring on the bed, "I'm hungry now," She whined. He smiled and passed her an energy bar. She still didn't like the look of it but it was the best he cold offer and she kind of understood that.

"When can we leave 'tiles?" She asked; her voice still sleepy and dazed.

"I don't know how to get out of this room Laurz,"

"the door," She told him like he was missing this great big exclamation mark in front of his face.

"The door's locked," He explained but it didn't seem to make a difference. She looked at him as if he were stupid.

"But it can be opened, and if it can be opened it will open for you,"

"I don't have the key,"

She stood up from the bed and walked over to the door and frowned at it, "You should open, you open for other people not let me and 'tiles out!"

Stiles never thought he'd be rooting for the kid to be right as she was telling the door to open.

He could feel he anguish and hurt and fear building up and the door refused to move. "I'm tired Stiles, and cold and I want my mummy,"

"I'm sorry Lauren," He tried to hug her again but she pulled away and went to sit on the other side of the mattress, her head buried in her arms.

Stiles stared at the door from where he was sat. 'It does open' he thought 'the same as I know a key goes into the door. The door would open if all the little teeth in the lock fit together in the right way,' so all he needed was… telekinesis. He huffed and considered his other options.

Lauren came over and they sat side by side as they shared another two energy bars a couple of hours later. It was the best apology a five year old could give to some back and want to be with the person again. She couldn't explain why she was so upset anyway and Stiles wasn't going to push it given their circumstances. That didn't stop him from asking her about the magic she knew though.

"Lauren when you make your birds and fish in the air, how do you do it? What do you make them from?"

"From the dust," She said, looking up at the beam of light coming through the window. The speckles of dust floating through the air that were fascinating on their own. Stiles watched them for a moment himself.

"But how do you make them move together, like the fish. Or do you just look at them differently?"

"I, I don't know," She admitted, "I want to see a fish, so the dust makes a fish. "Can you do it without looking where the fish is? Like behind your head or something,"

"If I can think it to work in the space,"

"and what about if they touch other things? Can you feel it? Is it real?"

"If you believe it has an effect,"

"But the door with the key," he pointed over to it, "If I could picture the key working in the lock on the other side of the door, would it open for me?"

"That's a big picture; big pictures take lots of concentration,"

"Do you think it could work?"

"I don't know 'tiles,"

"Well I'm going to try. But first you have to teach me to picture the fish and stuff. I can't do that yet,"

"Okay 'tiles, I'll teach you," She grinned and Stiles felt happy that maybe he'd given them both some hope.

They practiced for hours; or at least Stiles did. Lauren slept another couple of times as Stiles began to make shapes in the dust. He could alter their shape and density, and then he started to make them move across the room, albeit in jerky jumps and flickers from space to space. Dinner came and went; the person chucking the food in the door didn't even give them a second glance. Stiles rounded up the two packets of crisps, chocolate bar and cheese, ham and cress sandwich. Their nutrition was actually getting better as meals in captivity went; though it kind of looked like they'd robbed a couple of kids packed lunch boxes. He passed them all off for Lauren to have first pick and she split everything half each and push Stiles' half into a small pile. He smiled and took the sandwich.

"Hey, Lauren,"

"Yeah?"

"How come you're not at school this week?"

"Its fall break, I get a week off and then we're going to do a diary project on what we've done over the week. I was going to do a big collage with my art teacher! Her name's miss Mills" she gestured with her hands but then fell silent and looked at the floor, " will I ever see Miss Mills again 'tiles?"

"Sure you will Laurz. We've easily been gone a day or so now and my friends are going o get worried and come find us. Werewolves can track really well. And my friend Derek, I'm pretty sure he can find me anywhere,"

"How come?"

"We're kind of connected. He lost his sight and was losing being a werewolf, but he's a born werewolf so he was basically dying. I found a spell that could save him but I was so worried about him I didn't think about anything but saving him. I kind of bonded with him which screwed us up even more,"

"Is bonded like soul mates?"

"Nah, they're different things. But that doesn't mean that I don't really care about him,"

"Like my Jaz,"

"Is Jaz important to you?"

"He's my friend; I love him like Kelly and Mummy,"

"Maybe then,"

"So Derek's going to find us,"

"If I can't get us out of here first then yeah; my pack will come find me," He could feel his mum's words from years ago. Combining with Sara's memories of her. Believing in people was what Claudia was best at. It kind of meant sense now didn't it.

"Will it be like the movies?" Lauren asked after a few minutes more.

"What do you mean?"

"The big bads get beat up and the hero saves the day and they all go home and they marry and kiss,"

"Lets hope so kiddo," He mussed up her hair and she squirmed away.

"Does Derek believe in you 'tiles?"

"What do you mean?"

"That's how mummy described where our power comes from, she said it was like a werewolf anchor. She said it to Kelly, when she was learning how to do magic like me. That belief comes from whatever you're tied to; and if you have your pack then they have anchors in each other and they believe in you and that's how you know you can do something,"

"Huh, really," Lauren nodded enthusiastically.

"Derek knows you can save us 'tiles," She leant into his side, "And you believe in him to come for you if things go w'ong, so that's what'll happen,"

"You want to help me practice some more?"

He couldn't explain it but things did seem to click after that. The people who always believed in him would hold out for him. They believe that he could figure this out and Scott always knew that his brother had a plan. "My pack knows I can do this," He told himself. And he could feel the solid form settle in his hands, he pictured another shape and Lauren glanced up.

"Wolf!"

"That's what Derek looks like," Stiles said, smiling as she reached out to the wolf stood in front of them.

"I like him," She was running her hands through the image's fur and as Stiles could just image Derek's awkward disgruntled face if it was really happening, the wolf stared up at him and whined pathetically. Lauren gasped.

"He whined!"

"Is that wrong?"

"Mine are just images, I can't get them to make sounds,"

"So I did something really cool,"

"Yeah,"

"I think we need to start planning to get out of here Lauren. Can you trust me?"

"Mummy and Kelly like you, so I trust you 'tiles,"

"Thanks. Okay so this is how we're going to bust out and save the day," She was still smiling. Lauren was a very brave little girl; he told her so.

In reality he was considering gathering all the dust together and suffocating whoever came their way, but he wasn't sure how well it'd work on a werewolf. He didn't think he could turn dust to wolfsbane. He had to get Lauren out of there before something happened to her. The plan had to work, so it would. He tried to pick up whether he knew the person approaching but could only hear the generic purpose focus of the various betas before. Stiles was wary of how many there would be to get away from, if they even could. Werewolves would feel the loss of a pack member, they'd hear the heartbeat fade and they'd hear Stiles and Lauren making their escape. He needed to cover their scent, escape quickly or distract them; and preferably all three. To be honest, Stiles didn't have a clue how to get through all that, let alone find out where and if Kelly, Miriam and Sara were. He saw how much it hurt Lauren to think about them too, but she was with them before, so she might know where they were being held. He asked her when they were next eating, since that was the one time he knew the guards, whoever they were, gave them their food and left them alone.

"We were in a room like this, all concrete, but there were bars too, with symbols on them. I think it was to stop mummy and Sara fighting back,"

"Do you know where it was Laur?"

"I don't 'member," She hung her head and Stiles heard her sniffle.

"Hey, it's not your fault okay. We're all scared here. Your mum and Sara are going to be so worried about you right now but we're going to get you back to them," He hugged her close and she cried once again into his chest.

Stiles knew they couldn't just sit and wait in this room so the next time they heard someone coming down the corridor he ushered Lauren under the covers; telling her not to peek out until he told her if was safe.

He stood a few feet back from the door, hands tense at his sides and listening for any clues about who he was up against. It came back as a generic feed of beta complaints and this pack's special brand of hostility. He remembered Sara saying it was a city pack trait. As the beta got closer Stiles looked deeper, hoping that what he was doing wouldn't be detected. The wolf's mind was dark and spiteful, moments of happiness only when the memories touched on his brother or childhood friends. Stiles flicked from memory to memory, hoping for something to use. He found his crux as the footsteps came to a halt just outside the door and Stiles readied himself, forming the dust into the solid shapes he'd been practicing, and launching them as the door swung out wide

The person in the doorway reeled backwards in surprise as the dust swarmed around his eyes and face like insects. The man cried out and flailed, slipping on the damp stone floor and falling backwards, head hitting the concrete wall behind him. Stiles jumped forward over his legs to check the rest of the corridor. It was old and dusty with treacherous puddles and drips between them and the stairs. Up there even more dangerous. Up there, there was a pack. From behind him the man was beginning to move but Stiles' instincts wanted him dead. So his next move was to imagine slitting a blade across his threat's jugular; thin as a paper cut and in moments the man's eyes bulged in fear before fading to a glassy dead gaze.

His luck didn't last long as another werewolf came storming down the stairs toward him, his eyes glowing yellow with rage. Stiles didn't have time to concentrate on forming any more images before he was pinned.

"You little scum!" He screamed as he threw Stiles back into the wall and held him there by his throat, "You think you'll survive this now?" Stiles panicked and tried to grab for the guy's arm. Pushing him away, but it was never any good with werewolves; he'd have had better luck asking politely if he would mind setting him back on his feet.

"Will put him down!" Came the voice from the end of the corridor, the alpha's voice. A voice sounding far too satisfied with the train of events. Stiles received a punch to the gut, and was thrown into the open door which, for an iron and concrete door, moved when the force of Stiles' impact hit it. He blacked out and lost track of what they were saying until he heard a cry of "Stiles!" from Lauren and she was hovering over him.

"Well, they boy's proven himself at least," the alpha smirked as Stiles glared back at him and pulled himself to sit up. "Another couple of days and I would have killed you anyway. But in other good news, my plans are getting closer to actualisation," He turned to the beta who was still had his wolf features and anger, "Put them in the cell with the other teenager, its better warded now we know what we're dealing with," the beta nodded but didn't retract his fangs, "William if you break them you'll pay for them, understand?" The beta nodded but it didn't stop him from sinking his claws into Stiles' shoulder as he pushed them along to another, equally dismal cell. Stiles could feel the sick pleasure he got for the physical revenge, but he wasn't grieving for his pack mate; that Stiles found odd.

He collapsed onto his knees and rather than stay for the tour of the room he shut his eyes tight and could do little but clutch at his stomach and wait for the pain to fade. He head was still throbbing and he could really do with some werewolf pain relief and comfort about now. He rolled onto his side and curled in tighter.

"Stiles? Stiles are you alright?" Someone else was next to him hands tentatively resting on his waist and forehead. He shut his eyes tighter and tried to push himself up. Kelly helped him move until his back was against the side of the mattress.

"How are you feeling? Are you going to chuck up?"

"Sunshine and fucking rainbows," He glanced to Lauren, "Don't use that language in front of your mum,"

"I know 'tiles," She nodded but stayed back where presumably Kelly had told her to. Her tear stained cheeks needed wiping and Stiles wished he could feel his arms enough to beckon her over.

"Hey Kell," He said, finally looking up and meeting her eyes

"Stiles," She sighed, throwing herself forwards and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "You idiot,"

"Thanks," He winced, but wrapped his arms around her all the same, "I may have been punching above my weight a little bit,"

"You were willing to take on a pack of werewolves to get my sister out. I think the good intentions are definitely there," She looked back at her sister who took it as her cue to climb onto her sister's lap to be close to them both.

"hey, the road to hell…" He shrugged,

"Is that like The Road to El Dorado 'tiles?"

"Something like that Laur," he shot Kelly another look and relief was still plastered across her face.

"Are you okay Kell?" she nodded, "Have you been on your own?"

"Only the last couple of days since they separated us; Mum's room is more heavily warded than this one. And something tells me that these werewolves weren't the ones to build these places. They're basically squatters who happen to know what a few symbols of these symbols mean. This stuff is way out of their league though,"

"What _does_ it do?"

"Means I can't reach out to communicate with mum, enforces the locks on the door, doesn't permeate very far around the room. Since the door's the main access,"

"Can we use any of it?"

"I'm not exactly a master of symbolism Stiles,"

"Doesn't matter, you'll know things I don't, and we're really gonna have to use all we know," He leant back against he support.

"Hey, why don't you have your protection bracelet and charms on?"

"Uh, it's in my stuff, I think. Or they took it I can't remember," She undid her left shoe and pulled out the insole. Flipping the shoe over something dropped into her hand and she produced a thinly twined bracelet and handed it over to him.

"This'll help with the healing and the pain, but hide it under your sleeve if they come back okay?" he agreed and slotted it over his wrist, tugging his shirt and jacket sleeves down around it.

Kelly shuffled round to sit by his side, shoulder to shoulder. She dropped her head to Stiles' shoulder with Lauren hugging into her chest, and they sat in silence, just grateful of each other being still alive.

Food went down to the bare minimum of rations the net time any was thrown through the shuttered bars at the bottom of the door. Four energy bars and a bottle of water.

"Guess we have to earn our meals from good behaviour then huh?"

"I don't think that's how they're planning this, y'know?"

"There's going to be some level of bargaining between us and them," Stiles explained, "I means there's obvious dependence from our side, but the kidnappers want to get the best deal. There's compromise," Kelly gave him a look which was completely unconvinced. "I read police reports okay. My dad's a cop and its actually really interesting psychology behind it,"

"This pack isn't a human killer Stiles. They don't play by the same rules,"

"But they do play by some rules. Either we use it against them or we change the game,"

"Where do you read this stuff?" She said rolling her eyes. He shrugged,

"Mostly? CSI, New York, and NCIS. Also BBC shows. Shoot me," He said as he ran his finger over some of the runes.

"I promise if we get out of here I'll watch all those myself,"

He was sure he was home. In Derek's house but it was fixed and painted and clean and he belonged there. He wandered through the empty rooms and out to the patio where two people were standing just past the garden chairs and table. He watched them talking for a moment and walked over. As he reached them they turned and smiled. It was his mum, but younger that when he knew her, similar to the memories Sara had shown him. She embraced him and kissed his cheek. The other woman stood proudly watching the exchange, her wavy brown hair and dark eyes gave her an air of authority. She looked vaguely familiar though he couldn't place where from.

"You need to find Derek," his mum told him,

"And he needs to find you," The other woman added. "Bonds do not create themselves, and can be broken if the mutual intention of the both of you does not keep them strong,"

"Sweetheart, he believes in you, and he's coming for you, but you have to meet him half way,"

"Where's half way?"

"Where you look after each other. You do it already,"

"I'm trapped though mum; I'm trapped in a god-forsaken dungeon!"

"I would have done anything to save you Stiles, my belief did,"

"But I couldn't save you,"

"You didn't have to, sweetheart. Its was never your fault," she cupped his cheek in her hand. "Your dad doesn't blame you either, though he does blame himself. He still needs you to help him through that after all this time. You've always been such a caring boy, and I'm proud of you,"

"Love you Mum,"

"I'll always love you Stiles, but right now you need to remember what we're about to tell you," He nodded, "I'm proud of you, so proud. You're brave and smart and you're going home. Believe in that baby. Believe you're going home. There are lots of people waiting for you there, they all miss you and love you. Find your way home to them," there was a crash and in the next moment he was awake as more food was chucked in under the door.

"Mum?" he said under his breath as he remembered her forgiving words. He looked back down at Kelly and Lauren who hadn't stirred from their dreams and his resolution solidified. Maybe the crash was only in his head, it certain felt as if something was breaking inside. He grabbed an energy bar from the pile they were rationing and chewed it down bite by bite as he returned to look over the marks around the door.

He looked beyond the background noise and could hear the symbols pulse of energy like when they were all thrift shopping. He could hear the locking and the power harnessing symbols all coagulating into the mechanism of the door. It was a dark and droning sound, interjected with overtones of the spells holding them in place. The sigils were old and some fading in their power from age and corrosion.

The holes in the bands of sigils in the walls where they'd fallen away looked as if parts of the spell had been brushed away, offering a crack in the wall with which to pry it open.

"but how do you leverage a spell to break?" he asked the wall itself since there was no-one else. The mountain ash circle had broken when Scott became the true alpha because he had overloaded its capacity to withstand attack. Would injecting more believe into the spell force it to break or force it to take his power quicker? Could he use the crack in the spell to do the opposite and break down the spell from the inside?

"'tiles," a sleepy voice called him from by the bed and he glanced back to see Lauren still lying curled up I Kelly's arms but staring at him. "You look different,"

"Different how,"

"Like you're a big hero," Her eyes were still drowsy and it looked as if she where still in a dream of hers, "momma's getting out of here now, she's higher up,"

"What do you mean Laur?" he asked slowly,

"Sara's with her too, they're not here. But they're better now. Like your mom," She paused. "But you're mum's not here. They're not here! "she gasped and buried herself in Kelly's arms. Kelly woke up with the sudden movement, and hugged Lauren close instinctually.

"What's wrong?" she murmured glancing over at Stiles, "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Momma's gone, Sara was coming to get us and now she's not either,"

"It's going to be okay Laur. Me, you, Stiles, Momma and Sara are going home, We will,"

"Not any more," Lauren whimpered and shivered.

"Hey, hey. Just a dream okay, just a dream," She rocked her sister back and forth until the occasional sniffle was all that remained. You know how dreams are different from futures. Sometimes they get mixed up if you're worried or scared,"

"I know,"

"Jeez," Stiles was shocked, and scared fort his little girl. "Lauren whatever's happening out there, we don't really know okay. Nothing's fixed,"

"Prophecies come real, like a true alpha," Lauren whimpered.

"Nobody could have predicted that was going to be my friend Scott. Besides, I'm usually the brains of our operations,"

"Do you have a plan yet 'tiles?" She looked out at him for a minute, big wide red stained eyes and sniffing away her runny nose.

"I'm not sure, maybe. Need to talk to Kelly about how likely various things are to work," Lauren looked up at Kelly with a scowl and pushed herself away.

"You need to help 'tiles. 'tiles and his mate are gonna save us," she pushed herself further away, turned her back on them and stubbornly refused any more contact. Kelly watched her coldly turn her back. Her mouth hung open slightly and her eyes were watery and wide. Ten years her junior and was refusing her big sister's help. Stiles reached over and covered one of Kelly's hands with his own. She's okay, she's strong and brave and wants to go home with you and your mum," stiles said reassuringly, Kelly's solemn gaze dropped down to the mattress where it stayed.

"What did you need help with Stiles," She asked slowly. Stiles couldn't attract her gaze to meet his and he missed her lively enthusiasm from the diner and the shop. He continued to hold his hand over his as he explained what he'd found.

"So you want to break the spell by over-loading it. Stiles, I... I don't know,"

"That's not a no," He drew his eyebrows together and ran a hand over his face.

"My belief right now, is shattered," She hazarded a glance over at Lauren's turned back and Stiles knew she wanted her family whole again; who didn't, "Lauren's would never be strong enough at her age" she continued, "and you barely have any belief to begin with,"

"I can work with that," he ducked his head, "Lauren actually taught me a thing or two. He saw Lauren's head twitch and knew she had looked over at him. "I have my pack, kind of like an anchor, right?"

"My family is my anchor too," She sighed. "It's not perfect,"

"And I have my…" He faltered on the wording.

"What?"

"Derek," he said sheepishly. "Gets me right here," he tapped on his chest.

"Don't let that feeling go," She pushed his hand to his chest fully.

"But apart from getting out of this room, how do we get past the pack?"

"How'd you get past your own pack?"

"They don't always have their senses heightened, make them think it's someone else, that you're coming straight back, distract them with food, night time if they're asleep, daytime if people are mostly gone,"

"So you use their habits against them,"

"These wolves aren't a proper pack, they're always on edge and would probably rather stab each other in the back; especially their alpha,"

"So make them fight each other? How the hell would we do that?"

"Ideally we'd need a pen for the markings. But I'll just have to hold the images while they fight it out and we escape. We don't know when they'll be coming and going though they'll be less of them if they're going to get dinner or something but we can't really tell that either way. The bracelets should cover our scent enough,"

"Really? It's like two sticks and a bit of string,"

"But I know it'll cover our scents; Lauren knows it too. We just need to keep quiet so we can get out of the main building,"

"You say that like its going to be easy,"

"It might be the easiest we've got going for us so far,"

Kelly had suggested breaking the spell in the early hours so that if there were any repercussions then they wouldn't likely catch the attention of whoever brought their meals. Stiles was more concerned about if there were any more intact symbols and charms around the doors at the end of the corridor; the door which may also have a werewolf guarding it and a pack sleeping nearby. Kelly didn't think there would be. If the cells were warded then whoever did that wouldn't expect anyone to break out, and if they did, their own defence would have to fight back in the corridor, so theoretically, they could reach out and find Sara and Miriam as soon as they were out in the corridor. Stiles would be focussing on who was nearby one they could get the door open. Presumably the warding on Sara and Miriam's cells was higher if they hadn't been able to break it so far, but at the very least Stiles was on the look out for approaching threats.

Stiles felt as if he was holding his breath as they made it down the corridor, Kelly leading them and Stiles keeping an ear out for trouble. Turn after turn their luck was with them as they came across nothing but damp and cold. Finally the door behind which they hoped to escape was in sight; or if not escape a little less restriction on Kelly's power and enough to launch some escape prompting blows. Lauren was crowded up against the wall, shivering minutely as Stiles listened once more before crouching down to pick the lock. As a Sheriff's son, lock picking was an essential skill set; even more so when a werewolf's pack motto was often 'surprise entrance! We'll break the door down'.

He heard the click of the mechanism as winced at the thought of the werewolves on the other side of the door hearing the sound too. They pushed the door open as quietly as they could but there was no crash of anyone approaching to apprehend them and they shut the door behind them to preserve the illusion.

A quick once over of the room and this could be called little more than a guard box. Stiles checked the sole cupboard for anything they could use and felt his luck increasing. His rucksack had been searched, repacked, though badly, and shoved away with other bags and supplies. There was also a log book which Stiles flicked through while Kelly tested her limits again. He scanned the most recent page, the meal times were written, next to the captives names. He'd be amazed at the wolves' ability to micromanage if they weren't the captives involved. Up until two days ago there were meals going to both them and "Witch and vamp" but a red pen had crossed out one entry and a hastily scribbled note now covered the nickname. _Expired_. Stiles shivered and looked over to Kelly. She glanced up at the same time and Stiles knew she was reading him. She gasped and seemed to silently choke, holding in a breath. He replaced the book to the shelf but took his rucksack. Kelly visibly steeled herself to the emotions and busied herself with checking Lauren knew what to do, to stay close to both of them. Stiles and Kelly shared one more glance, and resolutely continued with their escape plan. They couldn't dwell on what that word meant, or its relevance to Lauren's previous dream and panic.

There were more stairs though from that room to the ground floor and reaching the top of those, they heard their first enemy approaching. They froze on the spot and Stiles held one arm around Lauren's chest. He felt Kelly tense beside him. He hazarded a glance up at her and her eyes had clouded over and her lips were moving quickly. The noise of footsteps and internal chatter faded and Kelly looked warily back at Stiles, they nodded at each other and continued past the next obstacle.

"I'm going to cast a blur spell alright. Won't be perfect but it'll throw them off for a bit," Stiles nodded as Kelly whispered her plan to him. She'd explained it earlier as basically tricking the brain into ignoring the space you were in. Another spell, a cover spell, would hide them from view and smell if they were still; but the moment they moved they'd break the spell. It did come in useful when they were sneaking past a doorway which sounded like someone was inside. Kelly went first, careful to muffle her footsteps, and Stiles followed, carrying Lauren. He caught a snippet of the conversation from inside the room, though didn't realise it's meaning until they were clear of the hallway.

"There's only three of them here," He whispered to Kelly, "they don't stay here permanently, got someplace in town,"

Stiles' head was a chaotic chorus of 'keep calm, keep calm, breath, don't panic, you're going to get out of here, Is Lauren okay? Is Kelly okay? No wait was that some thing? He spun on the spot just in time to see someone step from one of the far rooms and cross the hallway. He froze, Kelly and Lauren didn't and their next step had the woman's head jolting upwards and face pulled back in a snarl.

"Run!" He pushed them forwards and they shot into the nearest room locking the door behind them. There wasn't a lot to stack up against the door but Kelly threw a chair under the handle. There were shouts and Stiles heard anther two voices shout from behind the door in the corridor. He checked the room and decided on a plan.

The door wasn't going to hold more than a few seconds. He grabbed another broken chair from where it lay dusty on the floor and used it to knock out the rest of the glass from the window. "Follow me," He said jumping through and looking around warily for anyone waiting nearby to catch them before beckoning her to copy him. She pushed Lauren through first and Stiles urged her to stay close while her sister cleared the gap. He caught Kelly as her foot slipped when she hit the ground and steadied her before pointing out of the clearing towards the trees nearby.

"We've got to go,"

The forest was a wolf's playground but this pack didn't act like they had ever run together, there were more than just three on their tail so there must have been others nearby. The woodland was as much an obstacle to them as it would be to any human average; a branch bent back and released to smack at the close following predator threw him from his path. Neither had they learnt much control. The ones who had taken on their werewolf features sensed a threat from each other, and the ones who remained human backed away from their comrades or circled around. The fear coursing through Stiles' veins didn't quieten though he could hear less and less commotion as they ran.

Stiles had retrieved his torch from his pack and though he knew it would be as if he were holding a beacon to the wolves, they'd fair much worse if they were running blind in what he guessed were to early hours of the morning. There was a cry from behind them but Stiles didn't stop to see what caused it. Wolves turning on each other, the common goal lost when they couldn't hold on to their humanity. There were still at least two on their trail and ducking and diving under and over branches and hidden furrows in the earth had them all stumbling and tearing at their clothes. These werewolves would easily follow their scent if they couldn't get to a car or water sometimes soon. The crash of undergrowth neared and as a beta wolf sprung from the trees behind them, Stiles threw himself down on top of the girls. At the same time he saw the movement in front of them and something was coming at them from the other direction too. A dark shape sprung from the brush as they hit the earth. He felt the pack on his back be pulled as a claw must have torn through it and yanked him with it. He glanced behind him to see the beta form of a werewolf lying in a puddle of its own blood, its throat torn out. Whoever the other one was disappeared back towards any other trackers behind them.

"Are you okay?" He checked frantically, pushing himself to his feet and offering Kelly and Lauren a hand.

"Just about, come on we still need to go," Kelly said resolutely, Lauren was still glancing around distractedly.

"Come on Laurz,"

"The one that attacked him," she pointed to the beta, "That was a proper wolf, a big black wolf,"

"God I hope not," Stiles said under his breath, urging them on even though most of their energy was already spent, "I think I can hear a car up ahead, that should mean a road and people, let's make for that,"

The road was a dirt track and the three of them only just ducked in time when a rusty old jeep was headed towards them Kelly recognised the female werewolf sat in the passenger seat. "That's not good," She whispered to Stiles "There'll be more of them out looking for us now,"

"Then we can follow the track at a distance until we reach someplace with more traffic," He decided. It wasn't perfect, especially if it meant they couldn't see threats coming through the trees behind them. Not a lot of time passed before they were ducking down again as the jeep returned. The woman was driving now, though she had the same companion. The jeep shot passed where the three of them we hiding out of view. Stiles wondered if they were searching for him and the girls, or escaping themselves.

They kept moving until they reached a busier road and they hitchhiked to the nearest town. Finally reaching a diner as the sun was staring to come up and the breakfast smell drew them in. Stiles knew this was too close to stay long but they needed somewhere to clean up and hopefully hitchhike on from there. He kept an eye out in the diner while the girls went to the bathroom and Kelly and Lauren did the same for him.

"We need to split up," He told them when he returned, "I need to head home but do you have any one near home you can go to?"

"Most of our relatives are in Boston," Kelly shrugged

"Do they know about this stuff?"

"I don't think, maybe. gran would've done. She died three years ago"

"So head for Beacon Hills, we can get in touch with your brother from there. He'll need to know," He got up from the diner table and headed for the counter, "Have you got a newspaper anywhere?" He asked the guy on the counter. The guy nodded to the stand outside and Stile dodged the incoming customers to check the stand before nipping back inside to Kelly and Lauren.

"We can't travel together but my plane ticket's valid for today, tonight actually. If you take that and just get one for Lauren I can get you enough money to get to Beacon Hills. When you get to the airport call this number, he scribbled down his home and his dad's work phone numbers. I'll take the train and get in touch with my pack on the way. They'll expect us to travel together so we won't but you need to stay alert,"

"I can look after myself Stiles. But thank you,"

"If I don't hear from you then I will bring my entire pack back here for you, I promise," It was the best promise he could make in the circumstances.

"Stiles, I… I'm glad you're here,"

"Hey, I'm winging this," He admitted weakly. He searched through what was in his bag. His wallet was there but his phone wasn't. The money had gone but his card was still hidden in the lining of his bag "I don't have my phone but do you think you could ask that guy on the counter if you could use his for a minute," She nodded and slipped from the seat. Kelly leant closer to try and convince him a little more, this guy clearly thought it was his lucky day and Stiles was wary of him getting touchy. From the glances the guy was shooting Stiles he was wondering what sort of ruse this was. "Oh he's just my step-brother," Kelly told him placating. He really had started thinking of these two girls as family, they needed to be safe, and it felt good that he was able to take them back to him pack to do just that. As it happens when he relinquished his phone, at the promise of Kelly's number, he couldn't get through to his dad's number, and the phone died when he tried the station. Stiles swore under his breath and passed it back across the table to Kelly.

"Tell him his phone's a piece of junk and tell him to stuff his god's gift concept where the sun doesn't shine,"

"Stiles, it's a phone, we're out of there. As long as we stay in public we'll be okay right? We can call the cops if they come anywhere near us,"

"Phoning the cops was actually my first idea, only cops being my dad and his team"

"It doesn't matter, as long as we stay safe we'll see each other in what a day or so right?"

"Yeah, yeah we will. I'm just worried about you,"

"I know, but the same goes for you, now I'll go take this guy back his phone and get him to call us a cab,"

"We don't have money for a cab,"

"We will by the time the cab comes," She nodded across the room and Stiles suddenly realised that Lauren wasn't by their side. She was sliding a wallet from a coat pocket and noone saw he do a thing. It was fairly impressive for a kid her age. He beckoned her over and she shook her head and ignored the request. She opened the wallet, slid out half the notes and replaced it in the coat. Stiles, raised an eyebrow "A half honest thief; even more impressive to be honest," He said to Kelly when she returned. Kelly glanced over but let her sister continue.

"Should we change our clothes too?"

"I think our first priority is getting home. The werewolves can track a scent even if we change our jackets. I am surprised we haven't seen anything yet though; maybe they think we went in the other direction or are still moving on foot,"

"That black wolf killed at least a few though didn't it,"

"We only saw one dead, but probably, yeah," Stiles knew several big dark wolves. The one he'd seen out of the corner of his eye was so similar to Derek's colouring he was terrified for the fact that he hadn't actually seen Derek on their trail. He half wanted to go back and check but it was too dangerous to venture back into the other pack's territory. Stiles didn't have much longer to think about it when the taxi arrived and Lauren presented several hundred dollars to him with a sheepish smile. He let her keep half of it.

"Nice work Lauren, but…"

"I know it's not nice 'tiles, just because you know how to do something doesn't mean you have to do it all the time; like making chocolate and ice cream by magic!"

"You can never have too much chocolate," He said, helping her into the car.

"Don't encourage her!" Kelly scolded, but laughter was in her eyes. Stiles was glad a it had returned as they set off on their first part of the journey home.

If there was ever a time he wanted to notice his pack indiscreetly stalking him it would be now. Be able to mouth off at them but know they'd only have to listen to his heartbeat to know how relieved he'd be to see them. How much he needed them with him right now. He wondered how long it would be until Scott got worried about a lack of texts. Whether they'd already started tracking him down. Hopefully he could call ahead from one of the stations along the way before any of the pack came anywhere near the trouble here. He glanced round once more as the queue he was in moved forwards to get his ticket.

He was just walking away from the cashier when from behind someone grabbed his shoulder and Stiles twisted sharply to throw off their hand. There were two men stood behind him looking more like bouncers from a club then security at a train station.

"Sorry son, we just need to make a few enquiries and you caught our attention, could we have a private word?" Stiles gave them both the once over to make sure he didn't recognise them as hunters and wished once more he had his phone. He shrugged and moved over to one side, making careful note to stay in sight of on of the security cameras just in case. He plan didn't work out quite so well when one of the two stepped into the camera's line of sight forcing Stiles to face him so as not to have his back to either threat.

"We noticed you were going quite a way with not a lot of luggage, you travelling alone?"

"As it happens, yes. I didn't realise that was a problem for officials, what department did you say you were again?" Stiles knew his response wouldn't be the most placating for these guys but he couldn't really stop himself when he felt this on edge. Even if he knew he just had to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"We didn't. You wouldn't have happened to notice and persons acting unusually, red or yellow eye colouring, emphasised brow,"

"Maybe something like this?" the other one asked, holding out a pencil sketch print off which Stiles barely had to look at to see the familiarity of the werewolf facial hair and features,"

"Well I haven't seen anyone like him, but by the looks of it he's had some serious reconstruction treatment, hey if the dude can afford it,"

"He's currently one of several missing persons, also some reports of persons with black eyes. Have you noticed anyone of that description?"

"Black eyes? Like not just contacts? It is like a condition, some sort of disease breakout?" He glanced at the large clock hanging over the arrival and departure time's board, "I'm really sorry but my train leaves in ten minutes and I really need a piss…"

The shot each other a look which made Stiles momentarily consider his escape options but they nodded, adding "We apologise for wasting your time," goodbye and left. Stiles pushed through the crowds towards his correct platform and hoped he'd catch the train before he ran into any more trouble.

From the little station coffee shop Derek watched Stiles be confronted by the two men but saw that their conversation was not made so private as to put Stiles in any harm. Hearing Stiles talk his way out of the confrontation brought a smile to his face despite the anxiety growing inside him for the anticipated threat. When they turned to walk away he ducked behind a magazine stand to avoid them as they passed the front of the shop just in case they recognised him. He stepped right back into a blade which stung his skin as he brushed it. He reflexively pulled away but didn't turn around.

"This knife could go a lot deeper if you think about fighting, baby Hale," It was a young woman. Not dissimilar to Kate Argent and his wolf bristled at the thought

"What do you want?"

"I want to know if you're scared yet," Without waiting for a response her hand shot out and a sharp point pushed through his clothes and under the skin of his skin side and what felt like static shot through his nerves. He tried to turn to face her and his legs gave out and he clung to the shelves feebly. He tasted blood and realised he had bitten down hard on his tongue from the pain that was working its way up his spine.

"Well if not for yourself are you scared for the boy?"

"He's nothing to do with me,"

"But you are following him at the very least, that tends to suggest you have some value on him, and you're so far from home," Derek tried to stifle a cry as the pain shot through him like ice and electricity.

"He's…not mine,"

"Shame about that then. But I do suppose it makes him fair game," Derek was too caught up in a wave of dizziness to do anything but shut his eyes. "Just a warning Hale, clear out of Beacon Hills; you don't belong there any more,"

He vaguely heard her words before she walked away but the pain spreading through him was sending his mind spinning. Fear was coursing through him and his senses were fading in and out of range. He gulped for air and pulled himself to his feet. He had to get to Stiles but he could barely read the boards overhead for feeling as if he were going to fall backwards. Stumbling over his own feet was no better as he struggled towards the right platform and just made it onto the train as the doors slid shut behind him. He couldn't smell Stiles he could only smell his own blood pooling in his mouth where his only choice was to swallow and choke. He pulled himself through one carriage and sees through the intersection of the next that Stiles is stood in a crowd. Derek tried to take another step forwards and fell where he stood. He propped himself up against the baggage rack ignoring the sneers and suspicious looks he was getting from the other passengers and attempted to regain some control. Every breath brought back the backstabbing pain and his vision fades in and out of darkness. He doesn't think the woman or her friends followed him onto the train so whatever they drugged him with is likely killing him. Derek reached under the shirt to claw at the area, anything to make it start to heal; the skin felt hard as stone and the echoes of pain in his head made him slide to the floor again. He was going to die, so far away and unknown to his pack. He held back a scream.

After blacking out he came to with a cold bar pressing into his temple and most of the passengers who had been stood nearby had moved in either direction. He saw blood covering the bottom of his shirt and trousers but could find the energy to lift his arms to wipe at it. It was only then that he realised someone was sat next to him thigh to thigh and holding his hand, darkness in the other person hands travelling up the veins and wrist. But Stiles, it was Stiles; he took a deep breath which was released making him shudder and the maddening dizziness in his head made him shut his eyes again.

"I know you said you wouldn't be my werewolf guinea pig for spells and stuff, but this kind of looked like life or death for you so please don't tear my throat out or anything," Stiles squeezed Derek's limp hand as he talked quietly staring down at his knees.

"You've saved my life; again,"

"And I'm killing a spider," He held up his other clenched hand which also had dark veins around the wrist. "It was you, him or that old woman's cat," He nodded across the carriage to a cat box stacked on top of a suitcase in the opposite baggage hold. It looked offended that they were looking at it. "Or me I suppose"

"I'm sorry you had to make that choice," he said dryly, still a little too dazed to turn to look up at Stiles and smile.

"Ha ha, funny guy," Derek felt Stiles lean further over and rest his head on Derek's shoulder. "I can't lose you though," It wasn't the pain that caused Derek to sharply intake a breath.

"You've decided?"

"I don't think I could have chosen anything else," Derek couldn't think of the words to reply to that so he settled for waiting until he could move his muscles in his arm and pulling their hands closer to his chest.

"Defenestrate thyself heathen!" Stiles yelled from where he stood on the bed. Derek stood in the doorway looking completely unimpressed.

"Stiles get down from the bed and I'll watch your stupid program," Derek sounded exasperated but Stiles knew better.

"BBC Sherlock is a work of genius! A work of art!" he gestured dramatically and Derek raised an eyebrow at him.

"Does that mean I can't fall asleep during it?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Only if you don't snore," Stiles replied smarmily.

"I don't snore!"

"You totally do wolf man!" Derek continued to look at him like he was a naughty five year old demanding a later bedtime. After a moment he stood from where he leant on the doorframe and took a step forwards. Stiles stopped jumping and looked at him impishly.

"Wolf man?" Derek questioned.

"Wolf man," Stiles smirked teasingly. Derek took another step.

"Heathen," and another, until he was squaring up to Stiles as much as he could without pulling Stiles down from the bed.

"Sour wolf,"

"That's it," Derek countered, and tackled Stiles to the bed ignoring his shouts and yells of protest. "You. Are. A. Complete." Derek finally pinned Stiles down and stared down at him.

"What?"

"I don't even have the words," He admitted.

"Then it's a good thing I'm a wizard with my words then… Hey!" Derek smiled and dropped his head down to rest on Stiles' shoulder. "You're just as heavy as you look y'know," Stiles shoved at Derek who passively fell to the side, eyes shut peacefully.

Stiles shuffled forwards and grabbed his laptop from the floor before leaning back against Derek's side to watch his program.

Derek's arm curled around Stiles' waist tightly.

"I'm not your damn teddy bear here," Stiles protested. From the shuffling of papers and things from behind the bed , Derek was reaching for something. A moment later the fluffy six inch cuddly wolf was dropped in his lap.

"That's not even fair turn around, he was _your_ present," Stiles said, but hugged it close anyway.


End file.
